Undying Champion II
by TheHonoraryAmerican
Summary: AU. Patriotic pride, and a dream that never dies. Jennifer Jareau is not one to give up easily at all... not even when she's challenged by the world's best. Rated M for future scenes and references. *REVAMPED AND REVITALISED VERSION OF UNDYING CHAMPION. NOT A SEQUEL*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: They say the third time is the charm.**

 **This story has truly become such a big part of my life. I'm proud of the amount of effort I put into remaking it into something I've been proud of.**

 **But now, I feel like I could've done so much more with it. More detail, more intricate backstory, more skill guides... the works. So, in honour of the fact that I've graduated university and can now spend my free time as I wish, I've decided my goal for 2018 is to start reworking it again. Before you all go OH MY GOD... the plot isn't going to change much. But there is so much more to this story that I failed to include in its first incarnation, and I really feel that as readers, you deserve my absolute best effort. It's just such an enjoyable story to write, and I'm more than happy to immerse myself in this universe for as long as possible to enhance your enjoyment of it. I also want to increase chapter lengths as much as possible. So, chapter by chapter, I'm rewriting Undying Champion. Never fear! The original will stay up until they become equal, so you can enjoy the story even while it's under renovation!**

 **I really hope you guys love and enjoy this as much as I'm sure I will, because I'm excited to make UC my absolute best work yet.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

'Deep breath. In... out'

Chaifetz Arena was abuzz with energy. Her eyes were closed, but all around her, the excited audience cheered for the gymnasts out on the floor. Someone's floor music was playing... Mykayla Skinner's, she was pretty sure. A loud thud followed by applause told her she had landed a tumbling pass successfully.

She briefly wondered if Will was watching from home, her sweeter than sugar best friend of almost ten years. He always tried to watch her meets. He'd even flown out to Minnesota with her parents last year to watch the competition live.

The thought sent a sharp flutter of nerves into her stomach.

'Focus Jareau'

She flicked her eyes open, the sounds of the arena coming screaming into blinding colour. She was standing on the end of a chalky blue runway, bookended at the opposite end by the dusty vaulting table. Down to her left, her lifelong coach, Nicholas 'Nick' Romero was leaning against the raised podium, watching, waiting for her to get her green flag.

'Deep breath'

" _So we're going to head over to the vault where we have Jennifer Jareau about to compete, just about ten feet in front of us... Tim, what can you tell us about Jennifer Jareau?"_

" _Well, she's kind of the underdog here Al. To the casual viewer, she may not be a name that sticks out to them for the Olympic team. We haven't seen her compete the all-around since 2010 due to an injury she sustained at the World Championships that year. But she actually did finish second behind Rebecca Bross that year... so we know she's capable of being competitive as an all-around gymnast"_

" _And last year, she was part of that gold medal winning team in Tokyo. She showed fantastic work there, winning the world title on the balance beam and picking up another medal on floor exercise. Her bars were not as strong as I've seen them in the past, but her coach did say that she competed a weaker bars routine last season to try and protect that shoulder"_

" _That's right Elfi, and she's put in a lot of work over the off-season to get back to a competitive level"_

" _Do you think she can make the team?"_

" _I think she is most definitely in the mix! Right now, we can quite safely say that Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas... and probably Aly Raisman are going to London. So that leaves a team that needs a bit of bulking out on bars, and quite honestly, a slightly stronger floor routine than Gabby's couldn't hurt them either. Now, if McKayla Maroney was the fourth member of that team, she would contribute on vault and floor. The only event that needs help is bars, so it depends if Marta thinks that JJ is the gymnast for the job, or if someone like... the returning Olympic Champion, Nastia Liukin, could do the job"_

" _It basically comes down to what Marta thinks she needs to boost on the team, if she takes the three most likely candidates"_

Finally. The green flag.

"On vault for Romero's, Jennifer Jareau!"

A polite round of applause sounded for her as she stepped up to the line marker and raised her arms into a salute.

She breathed in deeply once more. She rubbed the tips of her fingers together, ensuring they were well chalked; a habit she'd picked up in the Junior Olympic system and kept to this day.

" _This should be a nice clean start for JJ... if I know anything about her coach, it's that he does not let her return to full competition until she's ready to do so"_

Stepping back as she poised herself to run, she fixed a steely gaze against the apparatus. Moments later, she had taken off down the runway, hurdling powerfully into her round off. She felt like her hands barely brushed the placement mat before she was flipping back onto the table. With a hard push, she blocked away from the suede topped surface, pulling her arms up towards her body as she started to rotate through the air.

Seconds later, it was all over. Her feet hit the mat as she straightened up facing the vault table, having completed two clean twists in the air.

She was happy with that, she thought as she turned and presented to the judges. She knew she'd piked her hips down towards the end, but overall, it was a solid start for her.

"That was good," Nick said softly, giving her a high five as she walked down the stairs and fell into step beside him as they walked back along the edge of the podium. "I always think you can get some more height, which will help you not pike down as much in the air. It's something we can keep working on"

"Ok," she agreed, giving him a smile as they reached the chair bank. He gave her a pat on the shoulder as she found her bag and dropped down into the chair beside it.

"Nice job JJ," came the voice of Jordyn Wieber as she unzipped her bag and dug out her water bottle.

"Thanks Jo," she replied, smiling at her teammate. Jordyn was the reigning national champion, as well as the reigning world all-around champion. But even with her titles and her almost guaranteed status on the Olympic team, she was one of the nicest people JJ had ever met, and they had gotten along well when they had competed in Tokyo the previous fall.

She took a swig of water, just enough to wet her mouth and throat, before closing the cap and replacing the bottle in her bag. Digging around, she found her grips bag and tape, pulling them out and dropping them into her lap. The competition continued around her as she unearthed her grips from within the soft canvas bag and set about preparing herself for the uneven bars.

This would be her first time competing her full bars difficulty since sustaining the infamous shoulder injury at the World Championships in Rotterdam two years earlier. Even two weeks earlier, at the Secret U.S. Classic, she had omitted some of the connections between her skills so as to not overdo it on her first meet of the season.

She listened, but didn't watch, as Gabrielle "Gabby" Douglas took to the bars over in another group. Gabby was another girl she had competed with last year in Tokyo. She was a quiet, but hard working gymnast, whose release skills on the uneven bars left all of the other girls on the national team positively drooling. 'The Flying Squirrel' as she was affectionately known by Martha Karolyi, had most definitely put together another stunning routine judging by the cheers.

"On floor exercise for Brestyan's, Alexandra Raisman!"

Hearing the name of her best friend, JJ immediately looked up. She usually had a rule of not watching anyone else compete so as not to make herself nervous. But she always watched Aly's routines. And Aly always watched hers.

 _Hava Nagila_ started, thumping out of the overhead speakers with intensity and passion. Aly held her head up with pride, waiting for that first note on which she would begin to move.

For Aly, this was her second season competing this floor routine, and JJ knew just how much it meant to her personally. Aly's family were proud Jewish people who valued hard work, passion, but most importantly, family, and JJ knew this particular routine spoke to the core of her traditional values she was so proud of.

She sprung to life, stepping forward and flourishing both of her hands before pulling back into the corner for her first tumbling line. JJ watched, transfixed by Aly's natural ability on the apparatus as she carried out the tumbling pass she was becoming well known for; round-off, 1.5 step-out, round-off, back handspring, double Arabian flip, rebounded directly into a laid out punch front.

Each tumbling pass was put solidly to her feet, just as Aly was known for, and it seemed like it ended all too soon when she swooped through her final movement and struck her finishing pose.

"For Brestyan's, Alexandra Raisman!"

Aly saluted, turning and heading over to the stairs where her coach, Romanian expat Mihai Brestyan, was waiting for her. As she reached the steps, she happened to glance up in JJ's direction. Catching the eye of her friend, she grinned, giving her a thumbs up before descending the podium.

It felt like hours later, but was probably only twenty minutes or so, that JJ was standing beneath the uneven bars, waiting yet again for her green flag. She had a feeling she was going to be doing a lot of waiting at these Championships. Because of the sponsorship deal between NBC and USA Gymnastics for the upcoming Olympic Games, NBC didn't want any of the top contenders for the team competing at the same time. This was to ensure they could get all the 'important' routines on live television. To JJ, it didn't seem fair; all the girls here had worked hard to qualify to nationals. Just because some of the girls didn't really have a chance at making it through to the Trials, it didn't make their routines any less important.

Either way, she had had to wait because Gabby was on beam. But Gabby had just dismounted, so surely, any moment now, she was up.

Sure enough, her flag came just moments later.

"On uneven bars for Romero's, Jennifer Jareau!"

She saluted quickly, turning her attention to the low bar as Nick focused himself at the side of the apparatus. Being that she was still regaining confidence on the event, he was there to spot her through her releases, a backup in case she fell.

Not that she was planning on doing that.

* * *

" _So we round up the first night of competition for the women at the 2012 Visa Championships. As expected, Jordyn Wieber is out in front, with Gabby Douglas nipping at her heels. Holding her own in third is Pittsburgh's own Jennifer Jareau, and her partner in crime, her best friend Aly Raisman, is right behind her in fourth. This Olympic team selection is shaping up to be VERY interesting indeed!"_

"I saw you standing there for bars, you were up there for _ages_ , I was like 'oh my god, just let her go already!'" Aly jabbered as she slung an arm around JJ's shoulder. They were walking out of the arena, following Jordyn's coach, John Geddert, as he led them on the short walk back to the hotel. The hotel allocations for Championships were always organised by each attending gym, but being that Aly and JJ got along so well, Mihai and Nick had taken to making joint bookings. As it so happened, this year, they had also picked the hotel where Twistars, Chow's, and GAGE teams, the teams of Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas, and Sarah Finnegan respectively, were staying as well.

"It's so stupid. Like, if we're there, ready to go, let us go. Show it on replay. I don't care if Will sees it five minutes after it happened," JJ groaned. Aly laughed, pushing on the double glass doors as they reached the street.

"I love how Will's the first person that comes to mind," she teased.

"He's the only person I know of that's definitely watching on TV," JJ said dryly. "Some of my school friends might be watching, but they usually wait to hear how I went first. I think I scarred them for life in Rotterdam"

"Honey, you scarred everyone for life in Rotterdam, but it's ok, because we still got a silver medal out of it"

Laughing, JJ shook her head, hoisting her backpack higher on her back as they strolled behind John up the sidewalk towards the hotel.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Please let me know what you think of the updates!**

 **Also I've changed the Skill Guides into Terminology Guides, to better explain any gymnastics terms that you may come across in the story. I have included the skills from the first chapter in this one.**

* * *

Three of the medals she had earned hung proudly around her neck as she stood atop the podium in the center of the arena. She couldn't stop the smile that had found its way onto her face from the moment the gold medal was placed around her neck.

For the third year running, she had won the senior national title on balance beam, her standout event. In addition to her gold medal for beam, she had also managed two bronze medals; one in the all-around competition, just a few tenths ahead of Aly, and the other on the uneven bars. Another result she had achieved, but was yet to be awarded for, was finishing second behind Aly on floor.

Looking to her right, she broke into an even bigger grin as Aly beamed up at her from the adjacent podium. It always felt good to share the podium with her best friend. But in a season like this one, heading into the Olympic Games, it felt even better. Like she could handle anything that the year decided to throw at her.

So long as she had her friends at her side.

* * *

"Hey peanut, good job!"

Her father's excited voice met her ears as she walked through the crowded foyer in search of him and her mother. Looking in the direction of his praise, she spotted them waiting near the kiosk, breaking into a beaming smile as she quickened her pace towards them.

She got to her dad first, throwing her arms around his middle as he wrapped her in a warm hug. He was beaming from ear to ear, love and pride radiating from every inch of his body as he held his youngest daughter in a tight hug.

Michael Jareau was by no means a small man. Standing at just over six feet tall, he projected an air of confidence about himself by the very way with which he walked. But as intimidating as he may have looked, those who came to know him would quickly learn he had a golden heart, and a nature as gentle as they came.

"What did you think of my bars?" JJ asked with a smile as she pulled away and turned to her mom.

"They were great! They're looking so much better!" Michael praised as Sandy pulled her daughter into a hug.

"You looked fantastic out there JJ... we're so proud of you," Sandy gushed, before pulling back and glancing down at the medals hanging proudly around JJ's neck. She lifted a hand, lightly fingering the gold medal that read **2012 NATIONAL CHAMPION – WOMEN'S BALANCE BEAM**.

"So," Michael said, letting out a breath. "Olympic Trials next, hey?"

Slowly, JJ nodded, a small smile creeping across her face.

"Yeah... but let's just get through the next two weeks first"

* * *

"How's my favourite gym bugs?"

Both Nick and JJ turned at the sound of the familiar voice. Nick's face lit up as he recognised his wife, Tasha, walking towards them. It was only the day after they'd arrived home from St Louis, but already, they were back in the gym for the daily grind.

"Hey sweetheart. What are you doing here?" he said warmly, setting down the chalk he'd been breaking up and heading across the floor to meet her. JJ stayed seated on the edge of the floor, taping her fingers up in preparation to do her bars drills for the day.

"I was passing by... thought I'd drop in and see how you're going. Hey JJ, great job at nationals by the way!"

"Thanks!" JJ called back, flashing Tasha a smile.

"Don't you come near me with those chalky hands Nicholas," Tasha scolded lightly as Nick approached her with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Or what?"

"You can make your own dinner tonight, that's what," Tasha said with a grin.

"I'll get my mom to bring him a plate," JJ chimed in, getting a laugh out of Nick.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be now?" Tasha replied, a flirtatious smile hanging around her mouth as she looked pointedly at her husband.

"Yeah," he chuckled, reaching around her and slapping her ass playfully, leaving a bright white chalk handprint against the denim of her jeans.

"Nicholas!" Tasha exclaimed as Nick and JJ howled with laughter. "God, you're like a child"

"You love me," Nick replied with a grin. Tasha rolled her eyes in defeat, grinning as she leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"I'll see you tonight. JJ, keep him in line for me!" she called out as she turned and headed back for the foyer.

"Always," JJ laughed, pulling herself to her feet as she buckled her grips around her wrists.

Nick chuckled to himself, before turning back to his gymnast. "Alright kiddo. Let's drill this routine until you can do it in your sleep"

* * *

Later in the evening, after she'd showered off the chalk and had something to eat, JJ was spending some of her free time unpacking her bag from nationals, and repacking it with the things she would need for Trials.

She carefully laid out all her national team leotards from the past three years. She would have to pick two (and a spare, just to be safe) to take to the meet... but she had so many favourites, it was just a decision she couldn't make straightaway.

"Excited?"

JJ jumped, whirling around to find her mom standing in the doorway. Sandy held out a hand to her, chuckling. "Sorry... I didn't mean to frighten you"

JJ softened, her face relaxing into a smile. "I'm nervous... it's a lot of pressure... but yes, I am excited"

Smiling, Sandy stepped forward, putting an arm around JJ's shoulders as they both turned to look down at the leotards spread across her bed. Even at almost eighteen years old, JJ was so much smaller than her mother, standing at just four feet, ten inches tall.

Considering JJ had arguably matured and grown up a lot quicker than her peers thanks to her life's devotion to her sport, Sandy sometimes forgot that technically, her daughter was still a child. She was such a strong and independent girl at times, well beyond her seventeen, almost eighteen years of life.

"A little bit of nerves is always good," Sandy said with a smile. "I think you've always performed better when you're a little nervous"

JJ nodded, lifting a hand up on top of her mother's, which was resting on her shoulder.

"I just want you to know... no matter what happens in the next couple of weeks, your dad and I are incredibly proud of you. You've worked so hard for this opportunity... we're supporting you all the way," Sandy said warmly, pulling JJ into a hug.

"Thanks Mom," JJ replied quietly, wrapping her arms around her mom and holding on for a moment. No matter what was going on in her life, there was always time for a comforting hug from her mom.

Pulling back, she gave her mom one last smile before moving over to her closet as Sandy took a seat on the edge of the bed, carefully lifting a few leotards out of the way so as not to crush them.

"Ready for the meet?" Sandy asked as JJ rifled through the contents of her closet.

"I think so. It's going to be kind of weird though... like I know in a way, it's no different to worlds selection... but competing knowing that five of us will be going to London and the rest won't is a little sad," JJ replied, selecting a few items and carrying them over to her bag.

Sandy didn't reply. Now that the number of days until the Olympic team was decided had dropped under twenty, the reality of it was hitting home. Her daughter was an exceptional gymnast, a World Champion who could hold her own amongst the best of the best... but in Martha Karolyi's eyes, was JJ part of the package she wanted to send to the Olympics?

Years and years of hard work and determination had culminated in a real shot at the ultimate dream, but what would they do if JJ was relegated to alternate, or left off the team entirely? Of course, they would still be proud of her for all she had achieved, but they had put in all the time over the years with the hope of it resulting in an Olympic berth.

Sandy couldn't help but feel like they would flounder if JJ didn't make the team. Floating in transition from Olympic hopeful to the one who didn't make it.

She was broken from her thoughts by JJ placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No matter what happens," she said softly.

"No matter what happens," Sandy replied with a smile, feeling a sense of relief flood through her at the realisation that regardless of the outcome of the Olympic Trials, JJ would be ok.

If all else failed, surely, her determined girl would fight onwards for Rio.

"Knock knock," came a familiar voice, followed by a tap against the doorframe. JJ broke into a happy smile as the head of her closest friend, William "Will" LaMontagne Jr. poked around the frame.

"Hey you. Come to bask in my championship glow?" JJ teased. Will laughed, strolling into the room and dropping himself down in JJ's desk chair.

"Always. Hi Sandy. Hope you don't mind me coming in, Michael let me up," he said warmly.

"You know you're always welcome here Will," Sandy replied with a smile, rising up off the bed and heading for the door. "Have you eaten? Michael made lasagne"

Will's face lit up. "I have... but there's always room for lasagne"

Sandy laughed. "I'll make you a plate," she chuckled, heading out of the room and down the stairs as JJ shook her head at her friend.

"You're such a guy," she laughed, picking up one of her leotards and examining it closely.

"Gee, JJ, I wonder why," Will replied dryly, making her giggle again as he pulled himself out of the desk chair and crossed the room. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to decide which leotards I want to take to Trials," she sighed. "It's so hard. I love them all"

"Why can't you wear the blue one from nationals? You looked really nice in that one," Will asked.

The compliment sent a warm feeling through JJ's chest, making her bite back a smile. She shook it off, picking up the red leotard with the white sleeves they had worn in the team final the previous year.

"It's not a national team leotard. I can pick any of the leotards I've worn while representing the USA, but I can't wear any of the ones I've worn while representing my gym. Does that make sense?"

Will nodded. "Well, I'm a guy, as you so perfectly pointed out, so my fashion sense isn't fantastic-"

JJ laughed.

"-but that one you're holding is really nice, I remember I liked it when I was watching you at Worlds... and maybe... this pink one? Isn't this the one you wore when you won your title last year?"

JJ nodded, picking up the metallic pink garment and running it between her fingers.

"I like that," she said softly, setting them aside before clearing her bed of all the other leotards. "Thanks"

"Anytime," Will sighed, flopping onto her bed with a dramatic fall. "I do my best"

Laughing, JJ held out her hand to him. "Come on. You need to come and eat your lasagne"

* * *

 **TERMINOLOGY GUIDE**

 _Pike/pike down –_ one of the three body shapes in gymnastics movements. The gymnast's torso and legs are straight, with a bend of at least 90 degrees in her hips. From the side, it is very much like an 'L'. In execution deductions, a move that is supposed to be laid out may be considered **piked down** if the gymnast displays a significant bend in the hips.

 _Layout –_ one of the three body shapes in gymnastics movements. The entire body is completely stretched out from head to toe, in a straight line. An angle of wider than 90 degrees in the hips will be considered laid out and vice versa.

 _Tucked –_ one of the three body shapes in gymnastics movements. The gymnast bends her hips as if she is piking, and also bends her knees to as to draw them in to her chest. This is considered the easiest position in which to rotate.

 _Round-off –_ a fundamental of gymnastic tumbling. A round-off is a cartwheel during which the gymnasts legs come together and her hands leave the ground before her feet touch the ground on the other side. Her feet will take off separately as in a cartwheel, but land simultaneously, and she will land facing back towards the way she started. Gymnasts can tumble directly out of a round-off, but the vast majority will continue the movement into a back handspring.

 _Back handspring –_ a move in which the gymnast swings her arms backwards and jumps from two feet, flipping backwards and landing on her hands as her feet come over her head, before quickly springing from the floor onto her feet. Usually used as an intermediary skill for high level tumbling.

 _1.5 step-out –_ a popular skill in the 2009-2012 floor code, when combination passes were a requirement. From a round-off, the gymnast launches up and back into a single laidout flip. At the same time, she twists around her longitudinal axis one and a half times, landing in the direction which she is tumbling and immediately stepping out into a connecting skill.

 _Double Arabian –_ from a backwards landing (i.e. a **round-off** or a **back handspring** ), the gymnast launches into the air, immediately executing a half turn once her feet have cleared the ground. This changes the tumbling direction to forward, as she will rotate forwards in a tucked position about her lateral axis, before landing on her feet.

 _Punch front –_ from a two footed jump, the gymnast executes a single forward flip in the body position of her choice. Commonly executed at the end of tumbling passes to gain connection bonus, but can also be seen on the balance beam.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Please review if you enjoyed! Feedback means the world to me!**

* * *

"And... UP!" Nick yelled as she swung through the bottom of her swing and flicked her feet into the air. Soaring over the bar, she flew through a huge straddled Tkatchev. Outstretched fingers scrabbled at the chalky surface of the bar, but ultimately, she missed her catch. With a loud THWACK against the crash mat, she came down hard on her knees, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Ok," Nick said softly, pushing away from the pillar he was leaning on and slowly approaching her. "You're exhausted... why don't we leave it for now, and you can try it again this afternoon when you're feeling a bit more refreshed?"

JJ looked up at him, her eyes screaming at him just how tired her body was. But underneath the exhaustion was a familiar sparkle, the determination that had gotten her to this point in her career.

"Can I try one more time?" she asked. "I don't want to go home on a fall"

Nick took a deep breath, seeming to mull it over before he nodded. Holding out a hand, he helped her to her feet. Far behind him, he heard the distant slam of the gym's glass doors; Michael had come to pick JJ up from training, as he often did in the summer when he wasn't working.

"I'll cut you a deal," he said, a small smile playing around his mouth. "You give it everything you've got and nail that Tkatchev... I'll give you the rest of the day off. I think you've earned a little break"

JJ's eyes seemed to light up.

"Really? But I need to train... Trials-"

"One afternoon off isn't going to hurt your chances, I promise," Nick said gently. "If you make the Olympic team... you're going to be very busy for the rest of the year. I'm giving you an opportunity now to relax... get your head on straight. You'll thank me tomorrow"

Smiling, JJ nodded, adjusting her grips as she looked back up at the high bar.

Stepping back, Nick clapped his hands together. "Come on kiddo, make this one count!"

With a deep breath, she gathered all the remaining gusto she had. She jumped up, her hands grasping the wooden bar tightly. Kicking her legs back and forth a few times to generate some swing, she was able to kip up to the bar and pull up into a handstand.

She swung down once, meeting a handstand again at the top of the bar.

"Good form JJ!"

Swinging down again, she drove her legs up past her chest, arching her body through the swing and flicking it up. She let go, immediately counter-rotating as she soared backwards over the bar.

And like magnets to metal, she closed her fingers tightly around the wooden bar on the other side.

* * *

"That was a good release I saw when I came in," Michael said conversationally as he drove towards the little shopping strip that lay between their home in East Allegheny and the gym. It was midday, and being summer holidays, there were people out everywhere enjoying the beautiful weather.

"The one before it wasn't so spectacular," JJ laughed, tearing her eyes away from where some kids were riding their bikes down the sidewalk as she turned to look at her dad.

"Well, we can forget all about it with some ice-cream," Michael said with a grin. Pulling up to the intersection that led to the popular shopping area, he looked both ways, before heading around the corner and down towards the parking lot at the end.

"You know Mom will kill you," JJ giggled.

"Your mom might kill me, but a little ice-cream isn't going to kill you," Michael laughed. "You've worked really hard Jaybird. You deserve to treat yourself every now and again"

JJ smiled as Michael pulled into the lot and then into a free bay. Clutching her phone in her hand, she unbuckled her seatbelt, pushing open the door and sliding out of the car. The sun beat down against her skin as she strolled around the car to meet her dad, reminding her that even though she spent every waking hour in the gym, summer was truly upon them.

What it must feel like to have a normal life.

They walked in comfortable silence down towards the ice-cream parlour, JJ reaching the door first. She pushed it open, a blast of cold air rushing out to meet them.

"Hi," chirped the guy behind the counter. "How are you today?"

"Good thanks," Michael said with a smile, following JJ up to the glass cold case and looking down at the flavours. "Just the usual, Jaybird?"

JJ grinned. "You know me so well"

Michael chuckled. "Alright, we'll get two regular cups please. A butterscotch and vanilla... and I'll just get mint chip please"

"Coming right up," the young guy said, opening the cabinet from the other side. With a handsome smile thrown in JJ's direction, he grabbed one of the takeout cups and a scoop.

A few minutes later, they were leaving the cool shade of the store and heading back out into the summer sun.

"I think he liked you," Michael said, a teasing grin crossing his face as he took a mouthful of his ice-cream.

JJ rolled her eyes. "He doesn't even know me"

"Take it as a compliment then. He thinks you're pretty. And he's not wrong," Michael said sweetly. JJ laughed.

"Dad, are you trying to ship me off because I'm turning eighteen soon?"

"The sooner I marry you off in exchange for two cows, the better"

JJ burst out laughing, nearly inhaling some of her ice-cream as they stopped at a little bench on the sidewalk and took a seat. She coughed, prompting Michael to pat her on the back as he chuckled.

When her throat was clear again, she straightened up, looking at her father with a grin.

"Is that all I'm worth to you? Two cows?" she asked, giggling.

Michael grinned. "Two of the _finest_ cows in all of the land"

JJ shook her head, giggling as she brought another scoop of ice-cream up to her mouth.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, watching the world drift slowly past them on that warm summer's day in June. For a moment, JJ felt like the pace of her own life had slowed... for this moment, she was just a seventeen year old girl, enjoying summer break.

"Are you feeling prepared for Trials?" Michael asked as he reached over and tossed his cup in the bin. Looking towards JJ, he took her empty cup from her hand with a smile and disposed of it as well.

"I think so," JJ said softly. "I think I'll just mostly be glad when it's over... it's a lot of pressure"

"Mhm," Michael hummed, nodding in agreement. "You always handle pressure very well though. It's one of your best qualities, I think... that you keep it together so well"

"Thanks," JJ breathed.

A short silence followed, the sounds of the world surrounding them before JJ looked up at her dad. As intimidating as he looked to strangers, he had the kindest heart. Her entire life in gymnastics, she had always been able to count on him to be her biggest cheerleader. No matter the meet, no matter the day, she knew he would be in the stands cheering as she competed.

"Dad?" she said softly, pulling his attention. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

"What... what are you going to do... if I don't make the team?" she asked, her voice getting smaller with every word.

Michael hesitated for a moment, seeming to weigh his next move. But eventually, he lifted an arm, putting it around JJ's shoulders and giving her a comforting squeeze as he kissed the top of her head.

"Give you the biggest hug I've ever given you... and then support whatever you decide you want to do next," he said softly, noticing when she relaxed under his hold.

"I love you Dad," she whispered, making a small smile cross Michael's face.

"I love you too peanut. Come on. Best get you home or your mom will start getting suspicious"

* * *

"JJ!"

At her mom's call, JJ rose up off her bed, where she'd been sitting and absently scrolling through Instagram.

"What?" she called back as she reached the door.

"Will's here!" Sandy exclaimed.

Smiling a little, she crossed the landing, making her way down the stairs. As she came down, she spotted Will leaning against the banister waiting for her.

"Hey," she said with a grin, stopping a few steps from the bottom. "Something I can help you with?"

"Well, I'm really bored," Will chuckled. "And you said Nick gave you the afternoon off... so I was wondering, if it's not too beneath you, would you like to go swimming?"

JJ laughed. "Beneath me?"

"I know you athlete types," Will teased. "Always thinking your sport is above all others"

Reaching out, JJ gave him a playful shove as he laughed.

"Keep that up and you can go swimming by yourself. I'll call Lani to come and amuse me for the afternoon," JJ giggled. She knew her friend Alanis, or Lani as she preferred, would be over in a heartbeat if she called.

"Ok, ok," Will replied, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "So are you coming or not?"

"Sure," JJ chuckled. "Give me like... ten minutes to change"

"So... half an hour?" Will shot back.

"Oh you are so asking for it," JJ replied with a laugh, shaking her head as she turned and headed back up the stairs.

Half an hour later, they were walking into the local outdoor swimming pool. Even in the heat of the summer sun, it wasn't as busy as they had been expecting, and they were able to grab two sun lounges beneath an umbrella.

"Last one in is a chicken," Will teased, throwing his stuff down on his lounge and pulling his shirt over his head.

"You're STILL using that old line? I haven't heard that since we were like, ten," JJ laughed, dropping her shorts down her legs.

Will opened his mouth to reply, but was almost immediately distracted by JJ's toned body becoming more and more visible to him by the second. Even at her tiny stature of just four feet, eleven inches, her legs suddenly looked miles long poking out from her blue bikini bottoms.

Her shirt quickly joined her shorts, and Will had to forcibly remind himself not to stare at her perfectly flat yet muscled stomach. Swallowing hard, he willed himself to keep it together.

So he did the only thing he thought possible.

Taking a step towards her as she approached the edge of the pool, he reached out and gave her a light shove. Just enough to knock her off balance and into the pool.

With a splash, she disappeared for a moment beneath the water, before surfacing with a shocked expression.

"Will!" she laughed, splashing some water in his direction.

"Heads up!" he yelled, leaping off the edge of the bricks and into the water, splashing JJ in a wave of water. She laughed, swimming away from him as he swam to the bottom and grabbed her ankle.

"Hey!" she yelled, kicking to make him let go. He did so, surfacing with a grin.

"What are you gonna do about it?"

"Oh you are so cocky," she laughed, splashing him again.

"That's one word for it," Will laughed.

After nearly an hour of mucking around in the pool, Will was sitting on his sun lounge, while JJ dried herself off.

As he watched her out of the corner of her eye, he suddenly spotted something on her hip he hadn't noticed before. Jumping up, he approached her.

"Hold up a sec," he said suddenly, grabbing her waist and turning her to the side.

"Wait… what are you doing?" she laughed as he bent down slightly and peered at her hip.

"Jennifer Jareau, what did you do to yourself?" he chuckled, bringing his thumb to rest on the bright purple mark that graced her hip bone.

Twisting around, she caught sight of what he was looking at and started to laugh.

"Oh that… I wiped out big time on beam last week. Like, fell in the worst direction possible and hit the beam so hard I winded myself," she explained.

Will laughed. "I thought you were the World Champion"

"Only sometimes," she replied with a grin, making him laugh again as he let her go.

By evening, she was home, showered, and waiting for dinner.

An afternoon off from gymnastics had been a blessing. Just getting to be a normal teenager, hanging out with her best friend... it had been exactly what she needed with the final stage of the selection process looming like a cloud.

Not that she didn't want to go to London. She wanted it more than anything in the world.

But sometimes... sometimes it was good just to breathe.

* * *

 **TERMINOLOGY GUIDE**

 _Tkatchev_ – also known as a reverse hecht. From a **backward giant** , the gymnast arches her body up as she reaches horizontal to the ground and releases the bar. With a counter movement back over the high bar, she clears the bar and catches it again on the other side, continuing either into the downswing or a second skill. Can be done in a straddled (most common), piked, or layout position (rare).

 _Backward giant_ – a swing around the high bar in a completely stretched body position. The gymnast is facing forwards as she swings. If she were to release the bar for a dismount, she would rotate through a backwards salto, hence the name backward giant.

 _Forward giant_ – the opposite of a backward giant in that if the gymnast were to release the bar for a dismount, she would rotate through a forward salto.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ok… don't worry about it Jason, I'm sure we'll be able to find someone who wants to go… if not, we'll be able to sell it for sure, the tickets sold out weeks ago… yes, I know… I have to go Jason, but I'll see you in California. Give Katie our love, I hope she's feeling better soon… alright… I love you too Jason… bye"

The tail end of her mother's conversation met her ears as she came crashing through the front door after morning training. Dropping her backpack by the hall table, she tossed her keys into the dish and kicked the door closed behind her.

"Good god JJ, how many times have I told you not to throw that door around like that!"

"Sorry," JJ replied, drifting into the kitchen where her mom looked as though she was about to start making lunch. "Was that Jason?"

Sandy nodded. "Your brother has given us a little bit of a situation"

JJ grinned. Her older brother was the epitome of what a big brother should be. Ten years her senior, he was, and always had been fiercely protective of JJ. But that didn't stop him delivering his own brand of teasing and torment. 'As is my duty to do so' he had told her the last time they had seen each other. For, for all his goofing off, Jason had proven in his academic years to have a brain of ability that matched JJ's gymnastics ability. Now an aeronautical engineer, he had settled in Pembroke Pines, half an hour from Miami, with his wife, Katie.

"Katie's not well. She's come down with the flu, as well as an ear infection, and the doctor doesn't think it's a good idea for her to fly all the way to California. So she's not coming to Trials," Sandy said, breaking JJ's train of thought.

JJ's face fell slightly. She had always liked Katie, and enjoyed the rare opportunities when they got to hang out. Now she would likely have to wait until Thanksgiving… that was, if she didn't make the Olympic team.

"Is Jason still coming?" she asked softly.

"Of course," Sandy said with a smile. "But, we have a spare ticket to Trials… I'd have no problem selling it online, considering the tickets sold out weeks ago… but I was wondering if you might want to ask Will if he would like to come"

JJ looked up, slightly surprised. "Why?"

Sandy grinned, confused by JJ's shock. "Because he's your best friend and he actually seemed to enjoy it that time we brought him to Nationals?"

"Oh… I was just… Trials is huge. I wasn't quite expecting you to say that," JJ flubbed. Sandy laughed.

"Clearly. Look, why don't you ask Will if he wants to come. Tell him all he has to pay for is his airfare, we've got the rest covered. And he'll bunk in with Jason"

"Jason will be thrilled," JJ said dryly, making Sandy laugh again. "He just takes the mickey out of him all the time!"

"I'll keep your brother in line," Sandy chuckled. "Go call him, I'll need to know as soon as possible in case I have to sell this ticket"

"Ok," JJ said softly, turning back towards the front door. She was quick about extricating her phone from her bag, before heading up the stairs towards her room.

She had already dialed Will's number and brought the phone to her ear by the time she reached her room, flopping down on her bed as she waited for him to pick up.

" _Well if it isn't my favourite human terror"_

JJ laughed. "Excuse me?"

" _I'm just kidding. Hi. How was training?"_

"Intense. Nick's voice goes up an octave each day. I think he's a little stressed out about Trials. I actually think that by Trials, only dogs will be able to hear him"

Will laughed. _"All that and having to deal with you as well. I feel sorry for the man"_

JJ scoffed. "Rude. Maybe I'll just keep what I was going to ask you to myself then"

" _Was it some pre-competition relaxation sex?"_

She felt the blush creeping furiously up her cheeks, and was suddenly glad she'd decided to call him in her room rather than downstairs. She didn't know why that had made her cheeks feel so hot all of a sudden; Will made all sorts of innuendos regularly and they hardly fazed her.

"Do you think about anything _other_ than sex?"

" _Are you calling me a manwhore? Because that's not true. I think about food"_

JJ laughed. "You are such a dude"

" _True. Anyway. What did you want to ask me?"_

"We have a spare ticket to Trials… and Mom was wondering if you'd like to come. She said all you would have to pay for is your airfare"

" _Wait, seriously?"_

"Yeah… why, do you not want to come?"

" _No, I do! That would be awesome! Give me a minute, I'll just go check with my mom, since… I have no money to buy plane tickets"_

JJ laughed, shaking her head. She listened as he thundered down the stairs, calling out for his mom. Eventually he found her, and JJ sat there, waiting as she tried to make out the muffled sounds of conversation floating from the other end of the line.

After a little more rustling, he brought the phone back up.

" _You still there Jayje?"_

"Yeah"

" _She said she'll pay for me to go… so I owe her big time for Christmas"_

JJ beamed. "You're gonna love it! Although, I hope I don't fall on my face"

Will laughed. _"I think you'll be fine. I'm excited, I liked it when I came to Nationals"_

"Because you got to watch twenty odd teenage girls in leotards?"

" _JJ, the fact that all of you could flip straight over my head with no fear immediately cancels out any of my lusting towards any asses"_

Laughing, JJ shook her head. "I think that's the point at which I'm going to hang up. I'll text you the details for Trials so you can book your flights, and I guess I'll see you soon"

" _Ok cool. Make sure Nick calms down so he actually survives to Trials"_

"I'll do my best," JJ chuckled.

Bidding their goodbyes, she ended the call, before heading down the stairs to tell her mom about his acceptance of her offer.

She was excited… but the fact that Will was coming also served to make her a little more nervous.

She shrugged it off. All the more adrenaline, the better.

* * *

"What are you thinking about?" Michael said cheerfully as he came into JJ's room. She looked up from where she was sitting on her bed, one of the photos of her and her classmates held in her hands.

"All the things that have happened this year… and we haven't even gotten to the biggest part," she said softly, a small smile creeping onto her face. "I still can't really believe I graduated high school"

Looking back down at the photo, she couldn't help but smile wider. She and Will were in the center, some of their closest school friends all around them, all of them dressed in their white graduation gowns. It wasn't from her actual graduation ceremony (that, she hadn't been able to attend), but from the Class Day that had been held the weekend before nationals. They were all goofing off, but through it all, her diploma was clutched tightly in her hand.

" _Thank you all for coming," Principal McKinley said, addressing the crowd that had gathered for Class Day. "Special thank yous to our parents, families, and friends because without each of you and all of you, none of this would have been possible. Today, we have the very rare and unique opportunity when we get to honour someone who is a current student, who strives for and achieves excellence at the scholastic, national, and global level. Our own Miss Jennifer Jareau has brought honour and pride to her family, her community, and East Allegheny High School through her achievements as a world class gymnast. As a member of the class of 2012, she has worked tirelessly to complete every graduation requirement, while competing around the globe as a member of the U.S. National Team and currently holding an individual world title. Unfortunately, Jennifer will not be able to be here for graduation tomorrow, because she is leaving for the U.S. National Gymnastics Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, where she hopes to qualify for the Olympic Trials in San Jose, California, and then from there, to earn a spot on this year's Olympic team. I spoke to Jennifer and her family last week, and asked if she would like to receive her diploma today, so at this time, I would like to ask Miss Jennifer Rose Jareau up to the podium"_

 _The gathered audience in the auditorium clapped as JJ rose from her chair and headed towards the stage. Her cheeks were incredibly warm, and she was sure she was blushing furiously, but she couldn't fight off the smile on her face as she reached Principal McKinley._

" _Congratulations," he said warmly, shaking her hand before presenting her with her academic diploma._

" _Thank you," she beamed, both of them turning to look at the photographer as her fellow classmates cheered loudly for her._

Michael chuckled. "It's not every year you get to graduate and go to the Olympics all at once"

"Dad," JJ said, her voice somewhat firmer. "We don't know if I'm going yet. We have to wait and see"

Michael leaned across, kissing her forehead lovingly before heading back towards the door.

"No matter what happens JJ... you've still had an incredible year. And we're so proud of you either way"

Smiling, JJ nodded once to show she understood. She listened as he retreated back down the stairs, before setting the photo back down on her nightstand and taking a deep breath.

Just one more day before she left for Trials...

... and then the real test would begin.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Enjoy! Please review if you can, I really appreciate the feedback. Anonymous reviewing is enabled so you don't need an account to review!**

* * *

"You have all worked very hard in training. Today is the day when you will be put to the test. Remember, we will be watching, so put on your best performance in these meets," Martha said in her heavily textured Eastern European accent from where she stood before the girls. They were standing across the floor of the HP Pavilion, the site of the 2012 Olympic Gymnastics Trials. The entire week had consisted of two training sessions a day in the arena, conditioning, physical therapy, and very little downtime. They had lined up before Marta in their usual height order so often that they didn't have to think twice about it now. For JJ, it was always easy… she was at the very end of the line.

"Thank you Marta, coaches, and national staff, goodbye," the girls all replied in unison, getting a nod of dismissal from their esteemed leader. They all relaxed, turning towards the stairs as they followed each other across the floor. As the smallest girl in the group, JJ was at the back of the pack as they headed down to the sidelines to grab their bags. She took a deep breath as she waited for the throng down the stairs to dissipate.

Martha Karolyi had ruled the USA Gymnastics women's artistic program with an iron fist since she had taken the reigns from her husband, Bela, in 2001. She had high expectations for all her girls, and even higher expectations for the select groups who made her teams. She was a stern leader, but nonetheless, JJ had craved her praise and encouragement from the very first time she'd met Martha. Martha's approval was almost worth more than any Olympic gold medal.

Finally making her way down the steps, JJ remained silent as she headed straight for her backpack. Even as the other girls talked lightly amongst themselves, she was lost in thought.

Tonight would be the first night of competition. And for the first time she could ever remember… she wasn't just nervous. She was a little worried. Her stomach felt uneasy, and her nerves were set on edge.

"You ok kiddo?" Nick asked softly, breaking her from her self imposed silence. "You look a little pale"

"I'm ok," she breathed, pulling her team warm-ups on slowly as Nick sat down in the chair beside her. "Just… nervous, I guess"

Nick stayed silent for a moment, nodding understandingly as he cast his eyes across the arena. Directly across from them was the huge siding panel that read **U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS** , hung in front of the dais where Martha Karolyi would be sitting with the selection committee that evening.

"It's a big moment," he concluded softly. "You've done the training. You've put in the hours… tonight is your opportunity to go out there and perform what you've been practicing all year. But most importantly, JJ?"

JJ looked up from zipping up her backpack, meeting her coach's reassuring gaze.

"Tonight, you should enjoy it," he said, a gentle smile crossing his face. "You should go out there and have fun… because yes, the Olympics are putting a lot of pressure on you, and I don't blame you… but you're here because you love gymnastics. It's time to show the world just how much"

It took a moment for his words to fully sink in, but when they did, she broke into a somewhat relieved smile. Picking up her bag, she slung it over her shoulder.

"I will," she said softly, getting a grin in return out of Nick. "I'll make it the time of my life"

* * *

"Hey Will, are you coming to grab some dinner with us before we go to the arena?"

Poking his head around the bathroom door, Will found Jason looking expectantly towards him.

"Yeah, just give me a minute to get changed," he said. Jason gave him a thumbs up, turning back towards his suitcase to search for something to wear.

Retreating back into the bathroom, Will quickly tugged his T-shirt over his head.

He didn't know why he was always so unsure around JJ's brother. Jason was a nice enough guy, with a tendency for light teasing every now and then. He was built like Michael, tall and burly, with a crop of dark blonde hair that had quite famously made him the teen heartthrob of his grade at East Allegheny High. Even with the tormenter he could be, he was fiercely protective of his family, but none more so than his little sister.

Well… actually, he did know why he was so jumpy. But this weekend wasn't the time to think about that.

Will swallowed thickly, running a hand through his hair before turning and heading back out into the room.

"I've been thinking of getting Jayje some of her favourite candy for after the meet on Sunday, as like… a little celebration of 'hey, the worst part is over'. Unfortunately, I'm a shit big brother, and I have no idea what she likes," Jason mused.

"Jolly Ranchers," Will blurted out. Jason looked up, cocking an eyebrow in confusion at his sister's friend.

"Ok… thanks," he said softly, breaking into a small grin before turning to look at the clothes piled on his bed. "Excited to watch Jayje compete tonight?"

Will hesitated slightly, shifting his weight to his other foot. "Yeah… I mean, Nationals last year was really fun, so this should be twice as good"

Jason gave him a friendly smile, tossing some of the clothes into his suitcase. "So, JJ never told us how you went with your college acceptances. Where did you end up deciding on?"

"I kinda suck at school… like, I do ok, but I'm no honour roll student, that's for sure," Will chuckled, the tension in his shoulders relaxing off as he spoke. "I did get accepted into a few out of state colleges, but in the end I decided on the University of Pittsburgh… I like it in Pittsburgh, so I wasn't too keen about the idea of moving away"

"Fair enough," Jason said with a nod, pulling his phone off the charger and shoving it in his pocket. "Do you know what you're going to major in?"

"Probably criminology and justice… my end goal is to get accepted into the police force," Will replied, a shy sort of smile crossing his face. "I've always admired the work my dad does… can't see myself doing anything else"

Jason grinned. "Well, for what it's worth Will, I reckon you'll make a great cop one day. Not to mention, it gives a certain pull with the ladies"

Will chuckled as Jason led them towards the door of the hotel room.

"No-one in high school took your fancy, hey?" Jason asked as they stepped into the hall, pulling the door closed behind them. He glanced down at his phone. "Mom and Dad are waiting in the lobby"

"Ok," Will said softly. "And… n-not really. I mean, I dated a couple a couple of the girls in our grade, but I never saw any of them going anywhere past high school. Maybe… maybe I'll meet someone in college, who knows"

'If only Jason knew who's _really_ taken my fancy,' he thought to himself as they strolled down the hall.

"Stay single man," Jason replied, making him laugh. "I love Katie more than life itself, but she honestly does my absolute nut some days. Just stay single. You and your Xbox, that's all you'll ever need"

Laughing, Will shook his head as he shoved his hands into his pockets and followed Jason's lead down to the lobby.

* * *

She'd been horrendously nervous when they'd walked out for the national anthem. Her hands had shook, her stomach had been aflutter with butterflies, but she had sucked it all up right before her first event, the floor exercise.

She wished she'd been able to start on beam, but as it was, that was where she was now standing to close her meet for the night. The arena was electric, the crowd more energized than ever, and it had made it so much easier for her to follow Nick's advice about enjoying herself and performing her best. Her floor had been the best of her career, with high tumbles and clean landings that put her well in contention behind Aly on the event. She'd blocked harder than ever off the vault table and landed almost upright with a smile. And her bars, for some reason touted as being weak, had soared higher than she'd thought possible, scoring a strong score just below a mid 15 that had surely presented her as a strong case for the Olympic team.

She snapped back to the present moment just in time to see her green flag go up in the air. Plastering a smile on her face, she presented to the judges.

"Come on JJ, you got it!" she heard McKayla call from somewhere across the arena. Most of the other girls had finished for the night. She was one of the near to last gymnasts to go.

She took a deep breath, her custom, before running towards the springboard and punching hard from it.

"Oh!" Sandy gasped, grabbing Michael's hand tightly as JJ's feet hit the beam with a loud CRACK.

Michael chuckled, patting his wife's arm. "She's on, it's alright"

Immediately executing her double spin, she finished it tightly, before turning back towards the end of the beam with a little choreography.

"I hate this part," Sandy moaned as JJ lined herself up on the end of the beam.

Will watched, almost transfixed as JJ swung her arms back and then flipped easily across the beam. With a hard punch, she launched into a full twisting layout, landing it securely on the end.

He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, clapping with the rest of the watching crowd. He had never seen her compete that move live. At Nationals the previous year, she had simply done a layout, out of nerves and being fresh off an injury.

Her choreography was clean, her leaps well extended. Her second flight series, two connected front aerials followed by a tricky little skill called an Onodi, left the audience captivated. Her switch ring leap brought forth an audible gasp, even from Will and Sandy.

To Sandy, it was breathtaking. Even though it was a skill she had seen JJ do many times in her career, it blew her away just how beautiful JJ made it look.

Nothing left but the dismount.

Her mind was clear, wholly focused on the task at hand. With a deep breath, she swung back, before leaping onto her hands. Flipping seamlessly down the length of the beam, she launched off the end into a high full twisting double tuck.

When she hit the mat at the end, she swore the arena was going to explode. Beaming from ear to ear, she saluted the judges again, before jogging over to the stairs where Nick was waiting.

"I think that was even better than when you won your world title," he laughed, lifting her down from the podium and giving her a tight squeeze. "You competed well tonight kiddo, well done. Good work"

"Thanks," she said happily. "I just followed your advice"

Nick grinned, leaving her side as the girls started to come up and congratulate her. "See, I'm always right!"

Rolling her eyes, JJ shook her head as she turned to accept a hug from Kennedy Baker.

"That was so good, I'm proud of you!" Aly gushed as she approached from her other side. Pulling away from Kennedy, JJ accepted a tight hug from her best friend.

"One more night… we got this," Aly said softly, smiling widely as she squeezed JJ tightly.

It was in that moment that the nagging worry she'd had for the past few weeks drifted back into her mind.

What if they didn't make the team? Or, even worse…

… what if Aly made the team, and she didn't?

* * *

 **TERMINOLOGY GUIDE**

 _Onodi –_ from standing, the gymnast swings her arms as if she is going to do a back handspring. Jumping back, she executes a half twist before her hands touch the competition surface, turning the move into a forward skill. From there, she comes down onto one foot and stands up, as if out of a walkover. Named for Henrietta Onodi of Hungary, who competed at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. She is the 1992 Olympic vault champion.

 _Switch ring leap_ – the gymnast propels forward. If she is a right leg leaper, her left leg swings forward first, before kicking backwards. At the same time, she drives her right leg up into the air and throws her head back. Her back leg is bent at the knee. The name 'ring' derives from the shape created by the release of the leg and head. Difficult to perform on the balance beam as it requires loss of sight of the beam.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Emotion warning!**

* * *

Every muscle in her body seemed to contain a dull ache after two more training sessions to round out her Saturday. She'd worked herself to the grindstone, determined to bring out her absolute best for the final night of the selection process.

Because of that, she found herself in the recovery room at the hotel after training, her legs strapped into the NormaTec recovery boots as she lay quietly in her chair.

Over to her left, Kennedy Baker was having a well deserved massage to loosen up all her sore muscles, while Jordyn lay across the room on another table, having an achy calf worked on by the national team doctor, Larry Nassar. The chair to her right was occupied by Gabby, who looked like she was having a nap while the NormaTec boots did their work. The room around her was abuzz with activity, what with all the girls in various stages of post training recovery, but it felt surprisingly calm.

"Hey," Aly said softly as she approached, kneeling down beside JJ's chair. JJ lazily turned her head towards her, making Aly giggle. "They've got you on the good stuff hey?"

"I think I love NormaTec," JJ whispered, making Aly laugh.

"And I love Deep Heat," Aly replied, wincing as she bumped her knees against the chair. Aly had had a rough week. Almost every time JJ had watched her in practice, she had landed on her knees. They were raw and bruised, and she knew Aly would just be glad when the whole thing was over so she could stop stressing herself out.

"McKayla and I are gonna have a chill night in our room, watch some movies. Come find us when you're out of physical, ok?" Aly said. JJ nodded, watching as her friend got up and headed back out of the room.

As she watched her retreating back, the nagging sense of dread started to settle in her stomach again.

Half an hour later, she was walking out of the physical therapy room, Kennedy at her side.

"You ok JJ?" Kennedy asked as they headed for the elevators. "You've been pretty quiet all day"

JJ nodded, clenching her fists tightly as Kennedy reached out and pressed the 'up' arrow. Her stomach was nothing more than an angry ball of nerves, and no amount of willing it away was taking away the sickening sense of dread.

"Just nervous," she muttered, keeping her eyes cast down at the floor. A 'ding' sounded to their right, the doors of the elevator sliding open to allow them in. They stepped in, Kennedy pressing the button for their floor as the doors slid closed again.

"Aren't you nervous?" JJ asked quietly, turning to look at Kennedy as the elevator began to trundle up to their floor.

Kennedy let out a laugh. "No. I know I'm not going to London, about eight of you would have to be paralyzed before I would make the Olympic team. Not that I'm wishing that on any of you, I swear. But no, I'm not nervous, because there's no pressure for me. I'm not making the team, and that's ok. I'm going through this Trials process because it's an experience for me… and one day I'll be able to tell my kids I competed at the Olympic Trials"

JJ managed a smile as Kennedy grinned at her. For a moment, she envied her teammate. What she would give to be here with no nerves, no pressure, no constant stomach churning.

"I'm rooting for you though," Kennedy said quietly as the elevator came to a stop on their floor and the doors creaked apart. "I know you're nervous, which is ok, but I think you can do it, JJ"

Biting her lip, JJ shot Kennedy an anxious smile, following her out into the hallway. Seeing as their rooms were in opposite directions, they bid goodbyes.

Somehow, she felt worse than before.

Unlocking the hotel room, she entered to an empty room. Assuming Aly and McKayla had gone in search of snacks, she bundled herself into the bathroom, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she closed the door behind her and fell back against it.

* * *

"I'm standing on the wing of this aircraft, having just rebuilt an entire panel, and I've put all fifty six rivets back into the top surface panel… or, I thought I had, because I still had two rivets in my hand," Jason said animatedly.

They were sitting in _il' Pomodori_ , a small but cozy Italian restaurant that Sandy had stumbled across that afternoon while scouring the nearby shopping districts with her mother, Nancy. Since being served their food just minutes earlier, they had quickly discovered it was delicious.

"What did you do next?" Michael laughed.

"Started pulling the rivets back out like a madman of course!" Jason exclaimed, sending the whole table into a fit of laughter. "If you're working on a plane and you end up with extra bolts in your hand, you better bloody find out where they came from!"

The laughter was permeated by the sound of Sandy's phone ringing from her handbag. Ducking down, she immediately grabbed it from the top of her bag, frowning when she saw JJ's name lighting up the screen. Answering it, she pressed it to her ear, turning her body towards the back of her chair as the conversation continued at the table.

"Hey sweetie, what's going on?"

" _Are you busy?"_

Sandy frowned. JJ sounded upset.

"We're out for dinner, but it's ok, I can talk," she said gently, rising from her chair and walking towards the front of the restaurant, shooting Michael a reassuring smile as he watched her worriedly. Pushing on the door, she let herself out into the warm summer night, walking down the sidewalk a little way before taking a seat on the little limestone wall.

" _Mom, I'm so nervous"_

Sandy's heart gave a painful tug as she listened to the anxiety coursing through her daughter's voice. This journey was harder than anyone could imagine. It was rewarding, and incredible, and one that JJ had chosen for herself… but at the same time, it was also demanding, relentless, and at times, unforgiving.

"I would be surprised if you weren't, my girl," Sandy said softly, trying to keep her voice even and soothing, even though all she wanted to do was run to the team hotel, gather JJ in her arms and hold her tight. Her daughter was strong and talented… but she was also shy, and innocent, and at times, so filled with self doubt that Sandy wondered how she ever saw herself succeeding.

" _My stomach hurts,"_ JJ said tearfully, sniffing back tears on the other end of the line. _"It's been hurting all week, and I know it's because I'm worried… I just can't make it go away"_

"JJ, you're going to be alright," Sandy breathed. Hearing JJ in tears made it all that much harder for her to keep her composure. "You're going to be alright. You looked incredible last night… like you were enjoying every minute of performing"

" _But every minute when I'm not performing is just a constant 'what if',"_ JJ rebutted.

"You know very well that you can't do that. All you can control is the gymnastics you perform"

Silence hung on the line, the air between them seeming to buzz as she waited for JJ to speak again.

And then, a sniff sounded out, followed by a choked sob.

" _Mom, I don't think I'm going to make this team"_

Biting her lip hard to prevent herself from bursting into tears at JJ's terrified proclamation, Sandy hung her head, taking a deep breath as she tried to work out what to say next.

She jumped slightly when a strong arm dropped lightly around her shoulders. Recognizing Michael's cologne, she leaned into his embrace, feeling much more relaxed in her husband's presence.

"Why do you think that?" she asked gently.

" _Because the other girls… they're just better… stronger… Mom, Aly's going to end up going to London and I'm going to be staying home"_

"And you know something JJ? If that happens… you'll be ok," Sandy said gently. "It'll suck and you'll be sad and upset about it… but you'll be ok. This, right now, is one small notch amongst everything you're going to do with your life, and it does not define you or who you are. You are still the sweet, gold hearted, good natured girl I raised you to be, and nothing is going to change that"

JJ let out a quiet sob, her mother's words sinking deeper than Sandy had surely expected them to.

"I know you're nervous… I know you're probably a little scared, which is ok! How many seventeen year old girls can say they've competed at the Olympic Trials? But through all this worry, I want you to remember that we love you, and we support you, and we believe in you. Ok, my girl?"

" _Ok,"_ came JJ's tearful whisper from the other end.

"I'm going to pass you over to your dad, ok? He wants to talk to you"

Getting JJ's agreement, she passed the phone over to Michael, stretching up to press a kiss to his cheek before starting to head back inside.

"Hey Jaybird, you having a rough night?" she heard Michael say as she pulled open the door and re-entered the restaurant.

"Everything ok?" Jason asked as she approached the table.

"Yeah," she sighed, walking around to her chair and pulling it out. "JJ's having a bit of a crisis of confidence. I think she's ok… she's just a bit upset"

They returned to their meals, Michael rejoining them nearly ten minutes later, wearing a reassuring smile.

"She's ok," he said softly, handing Sandy back her phone as he took his seat again. "She just doubts herself too much. I told her not to worry about scores or teams, just to go out and do what she's been training with Nick. At that point, Aly came in and found her, so she's gone to watch a movie with her and McKayla"

Sandy smiled gratefully. Since Aly and JJ had met at the age of 10 in the Talent Opportunity Program, Aly had always been a wonderful friend. Not only were she and JJ thick as thieves, but Aly was always looking out for her, and Sandy knew JJ did the same for Aly.

For a moment, Sandy wondered if Aly's mother, Lynn, had received any similar phone calls throughout the week, but then she shook it off.

It was better not to dwell on the nerves. Tomorrow night, the worst would be over.

And then they would deal with whatever came next.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Enjoy!**

* * *

"We've worked hard on your bars this year, and they looked brilliant in training this morning. Just remember the corrections I gave you, but most importantly, just remember to let the routine flow. If you have to break a connection to save a mistake, just do it. Just do exactly what you did in training and you'll be fine"

Nick's words were meeting her ears but they weren't truly sinking in. All around her, the hustle and bustle of the arena as the competition continued on seemed to be in overdrive, every sound magnified as it came screaming to her ears.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, squeezing her hands tightly around the dowels of her grips.

"Nick," she said softly, interrupting him as he rambled on beside her. He stopped, looking down at her as she opened her eyes and turned to look at him.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"You're kinda stressing me out," she admitted.

"Oh," Nick said lamely, his shoulders seeming to relax slightly. "Sorry"

"It's ok," she said with a small smile. Glancing down at her hands, she toyed with the buckle of her grip. "I'm just… I don't know. I'm nervous… but I'd say nervous is actually an understatement"

Nick gave her a reassuring smile. "I know. But you can't be so hard on yourself, JJ, you know that. You're so much better than you think you are… the moment you first realize that, everything will suddenly seem less terrifying for you"

Looking up, JJ realized that Sarah Finnegan, the girl competing before her, was coming down the stairs. With a heavy sigh, she walked towards the steps, giving Sarah a smile as she passed her.

Preparing the bars went by in a blur, and before she knew exactly what was going on, she was standing beneath the bars, lifting her arms into the air to salute the judges.

As she turned to face the low bar, her surroundings seemed to blur. The bright stadium lights above her seemed to burn into her retinas as she narrowed her focus down onto the bar in front of her.

Breathing in deeply, she shut out everything around her, swung her arms forward, and mounted the bar.

Keeping everything tight, she cast up to handstand, extending from her hands all the way up to her toes as she brought her toes down to the bar and swung beneath it. A full turn on top of the bar at the conclusion of the skill made it a toe-on full, before she brought her feet down to the bar through another swing, flicking her body up towards the high bar as she reached the top again.

Casting up to handstand, she swung through a backward giant, releasing into a soaring straddled Tkatchev, which she caught and then immediately released into a Pak salto. Catching the Pak with ease, she circled around the bar again, this time with her legs held in a tight straddle, before releasing again and executing a half turn as she caught the bar.

Pulling up to handstand, she swung through two strong backward giants, winding up before releasing into a stretched and flighty double layout.

When her feet hit the mat with a satisfying THWACK, she was smiling from ear to ear. Even though she wasn't one of the big names in the meet, like Aly, Jordyn, and Gabby, the crowd went wild as she straightened up and saluted the judges.

Heading back over towards Nick, she couldn't help but notice how one killer routine had dissipated the knot of anxiety in her stomach. Still grinning from ear to ear, she slapped her hands against Nick's, before getting a tight hug.

"My rambling worked obviously," he teased lightly, making her laugh. "Alright. One more routine and then you can breathe kiddo. Let's go"

* * *

She'd finished her night as the final competitor on beam, getting a raucous round of applause from the crowd. Once her physical competition was over, a wave of relief had washed over like a wall of water. But then, just as quickly as they had disappeared, the nerves and anxiety had reared their ugly heads. Because while the physical demands were over, now came the anxious wait. At the end of the wait, she would either be riding on the high of a dream come true, or trying to keep it together after her dreams were broken.

Chewing anxiously on her lip, she'd joined the girls as they were led out of the competition area and into a room in the depths of the building. Ahead of them, the selection committee, comprised of Martha Karolyi, former Olympic coach Steve Rybacki, and athlete representative Terin Humphrey, had been led into a conference room further down the hall.

The tense 12 minute wait had led the arena to a state of nervous chatter, in the midst of which sat JJ's family. They had sat in near total silence for almost the entire time, until Nancy spoke up as the timer ticked down to the three minute mark.

"She did so well tonight… I think that's almost the best I've ever seen her do"

Sandy let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, clutching tightly to her husband's hand as she glanced over at her mother.

"I just hope she remembers that if…," she said softly, her voice trailing off as she avoided voicing the worst case scenario.

Closing her eyes, she tipped her head back slightly and took a deep breath.

She'd put JJ in gymnastics at four years old. JJ had been fascinated with the sport after seeing the 1998 National Championships on TV, and fearing her youngest child would injure herself if she continued trying to replicate what she had seen on the TV, Sandy had walked her into Romero's Gymnastics Academy and signed her up.

What had started as a fun after school activity had led to a genuine passion and motivation to go far. JJ had decided after the Sydney Olympics that going to the Olympics was her ultimate goal, a dream that was further solidified when she had watched Carly Patterson win gold four years later in Athens.

It had never been Sandy and Michael's dream. Proud parents and supporters, they had been there to support and encourage her as she got herself this far. And now, they were just minutes away from finding out if it had all paid off. All the vacations they'd missed, the birthday parties JJ had never had, the injuries, the time away from friends and family, everything their daughter had given up had been for the pursuit of one thing.

An Olympic team berth.

Around her, the arena's noise level was rising. The timer surely had to be almost done.

"Sandy," Michael said softly, squeezing her hand to pull her from her reverie. "They're about to announce it"

Snapping her eyes open, Sandy sat up straighter in her chair as her eyes fell to the floor, where a man she recognized as Steve Penny, the president of USA Gymnastics, was walking out onto the carpet. After a short delay, during which he tested his microphone, and spoke quickly with the organizers around him, he lifted his attention to the cheering crowd.

"Good evening," he said, generating an excited rise in the volume. Sandy's eyes were already burning with tears, both of her hands wrapped tightly around Michael's as she fought for her composure. Over to her left, Nancy was squeezing Jason's hand, and Jason, for the first time Sandy could remember, looked nearly beside himself.

"Please welcome, the five members, of the women's 2012 U.S. Olympic team!" he cried, glancing quickly down at a sheet of paper in his hand. "Gabby Douglas!"

The cheers began to turn into screams, while Sandy's stomach churned relentlessly.

"Jennifer Jareau!"

"Oh my god, MICHAEL!" Sandy shrieked, bursting into tears as she and Michael leapt out of their seats and threw their arms around each other. Jason and Will both leapt up simultaneously, punching the air in excitement as Nancy let out an excited shriek.

"McKayla Maroney!"

"She did it Sandy… our baby girl is going to the Olympics," Michael said tearfully, clutching his wife as the applause began to reach deafening levels of volume.

"Aly Raisman!"

Sandy let out another sob as Aly's name hit their ears. Somewhere in the crowd, Aly's parents, Lynn and Rick, would now be sharing a similar embrace. JJ would be going to the Olympics with her best friend at her side.

"And Kyla Ross!"

A collective gasp rang around the arena that didn't go unnoticed by Sandy as she and Michael pulled apart, both wiping tears from their eyes. Of the five names called, one of them hadn't been Jordyn Wieber's; the reigning national and World all-around champion.

It seemed to take forever, but finally, the doors to the conference rooms opened and out came the five girls, each clutching a bunch of flowers, each of them in near hysterical tears of joy.

JJ's hands were shaking in total disbelief, but even that couldn't stop the tears cascading down her cheeks as she ascended the steps to stand atop the floor with four of her closest friends, now her Olympic teammates.

"They will be joined in London by three replacement athletes! Jordyn Wieber, Sarah Finnegan, and Elizabeth Price!"

So overcome with emotion that she hardly noticed when the three alternates joined them, JJ followed Gabby and McKayla's lead as they all lifted their hands into the air and waved to the crowd, who by now were screaming and cheering so loudly, she was sure they could be heard in London.

She couldn't believe it. A lifelong dream had now become a reality.

She was going to the Olympics.

* * *

Still overcome with tears, but smiling her way through them, JJ had survived through her media appearances in the foyer, before the girls were finally released to go and find their families.

Still dressed in just her team warm-ups and her socks, she darted between the throngs of people in the foyer, smiling her thanks when the other girls who had competed stopped her to congratulate her.

But finally, she'd spotted her family, and the second she saw her mom, the tears came in at full force again.

"I did it," was all she managed to say as she threw her arms around her mom and buried her face in her shoulder. "I can't believe it, I really thought I wasn't going to make the team"

"I knew you could do it. We are so proud of you," Sandy said tearfully, rocking JJ ever so slightly from side to side as she smoothed JJ's ponytail down soothingly. "You were incredible… you've worked so hard… you _deserve_ this, and you're going to have the time of your life"

Still sobbing, JJ managed a smile as she pulled away, before she was immediately swept up in a warm, loving hug from her dad.

"Everything your mom said… I love you so much Jaybird, I'm so proud of you"

After also getting tight hugs from her grandmother and Jason, she finally reached Will, who'd been waiting off to the side to allow her a moment with her family.

"I'm starting to think you're just looking for more and more ways to outshine me," he said with a lopsided grin. She let out a watery laugh, moving in for a hug as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

The tears had slowed, and for the first time, she noticed how good he smelled. Whatever cologne he was wearing, it suited him.

Suddenly aware that they'd been standing together for longer than was usually necessary, she pulled away, a shy smile crossing her face as she looked up at him. He gave her a sheepish grin, clearing his throat as he took half a step back.

"You… you were amazing Jayje. I can't wait to watch you compete in London," he said quickly.

"Thanks," JJ said softly, smiling as she turned back to look at her family.

As they started to walk back towards the room where they could spend some more time together with the other girls and their families, her mom gave her a curious look.

"Shut up," JJ muttered, making Sandy chuckle.

"I didn't say anything," she murmured, looping an arm around JJ's shoulders and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She let out a happy sigh, holding JJ tight.

"I'm so proud of you, baby girl"

* * *

 **TERMINOLOGY GUIDE**

 _Toe-on full –_ from a handstand atop the bar, the gymnast brings her legs down through a pike position. Her toes touch the bar between her hands as she swing around the bar, before going back up to handstand at the completion of the rotation.

 _Maloney (the skill JJ performed after the toe-on full) –_ technically named a toe-on Shaposhnikova. Bringing her toes to the bar like above, the gymnast circles around the bar, before releasing and transitioning up to the high bar with a stretched body position. She catches still facing the low bar. Named for Kristen Maloney of the United States of America, who competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and won a bronze medal as part of the American team.

 _Pak salto_ – facing the low bar, the gymnast swings forward and releases the bar, performing a single layout back salto between the bars before catching the low bar. Named for Gyong Sil Pak of North Korea.

 _Double layout (uneven bars dismount)_ – from a backward giant, the gymnast releases the bar and completes two stretched flips before landing on her feet.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Mostly sweet, with a little bit of angst! Our lovely little JJ has a lot going on!**

* * *

Covered in sweat, chalk, foam dust and god knows what else, JJ felt incredibly relaxed as she came to rest on the floor at the conclusion of her Wednesday training, her first day back since the conclusion of the Olympic Trials.

Shrouded in the warm dusty air of the gym, she felt more secure than she had all year.

Here, it was like she'd never left. In the week she'd been gone, everything had changed, and at the same time, nothing.

Sitting on the edge of the floor, she gazed around the gym that was like a second home to her as she gently stretched out her hard worked muscles. Everything was exactly as it had been the previous Saturday morning… but it felt like so much had changed at the same time. The posters detailing her success at the national and world level still hung in the same places on the wall, the banners bearing the logos of Olympics past stretched across the bricks beneath them. The banner bearing the words **LONDON 2012** hung at the very end, a recent addition of only a few months. But now, looking at it, it sent a thrill of excitement racing through her chest.

She was going to the Olympics. A dream she'd clutched tightly to since she was only six years old. A dream she and her family had made thousands of sacrifices for to have even the slightest chance of achieving it. And here she was. One of the miniscule percentage who actually made it.

Running her hands along the tops of her legs and all the way down to her toes, she glanced up at the sound of the cover of a foam block rustling. For the first time, she noticed Nick sitting on one of the blocks by the edge of the floor. He had a much calmer expression than he usually wore… in fact, he almost looked a tad emotional.

"Are you happy with how you trained today?" he asked when he noticed her watching him across the gym. She broke into a smile.

"Yeah," she said, her voice coming out in an excited, breathless whisper. "Everything felt really good"

"You seem like you have a bit more energy today than usual," Nick chuckled. "Unsurprisingly"

Relaxing out of her stretch, JJ pulled herself to her feet, picking up her grips bag and her water bottle. She slowly made her way over to her coach, coming to a stop a few feet away from him.

"You know Jayje… I'm really proud of you kiddo," Nick said, a warm smile crossing his face. "You're my first elite… my first national team member… national champion, world champion… now you're an Olympian, and it just… it makes me so proud, you've worked so hard… I'm very grateful that you and your family trusted me to get you this far"

JJ swallowed hard, her coach's sweet words stirring up all the emotion from Sunday evening once more.

"Still got a way to go," she reminded him with a smile. He chuckled, nodding as he pulled himself to his feet.

"We'll enjoy it as it comes. In the meantime… you better head home and get ready for that party your mom's throwing you," he teased lightly as they walked back in the direction of the locker rooms. JJ threw her head back, letting out a groan as Nick laughed.

"Just what I want… to be the center of attention," she muttered.

"Only for a few hours… and think about it. It's only like… fifty people. The Olympics will be more like… fifteen thousand," Nick said in a mock whisper.

"Don't tell me that," JJ whispered back, cutting in front of Nick before darting into the change rooms, both of them grinning from ear to ear. As she pushed open the change room door, she heard Nick chuckle to himself, before heading back in the direction of the offices.

* * *

The 'small' get together her mother had promised had turned out to be a little bigger than she had anticipated. Her grandmother, affectionately nicknamed Nandy, her mom's sister and her two cousins who lived in the States had all driven in to help celebrate. Joining them were most of her friends from school, Will's parents, as well as the majority of the older girls from the gym. Rounding out the fairly large group were Nick and Tash, and two other coaches from the gym, Elliott and Liam.

"This is a lot of people," JJ muttered as she walked outside alongside her mom.

"A lot of people wanted to celebrate with you," Sandy chuckled.

Before JJ could speak again, the gathered group in the backyard seemed to realise she had graced them with her presence. Breaking into a round of cheers, they started to approach her as she fought off the tomato red blush creeping up her cheeks.

Nearly twenty minutes later, after she'd made her way around and spoken to most of her friends and family, she was just heading back towards her school friends when someone yelled her name across the yard.

"JJ!"

JJ whipped around at the sound of the familiar voice, only to be almost knocked off her feet by a flurry of denim shorts and wavy brown hair.

"Lani!" she laughed, staggering back to catch herself as she threw her arms around her friend. Alanis, or as she steadfastly insisted on being called, Lani, was JJ's oldest friend apart from Will. The two of them had gone to school together since their kindergarten days, and despite the fact that their personalities couldn't be more opposite at times, JJ loved having Lani in her life. She was just the kind of upbeat, crazy friend that every self proclaimed introvert needed in their life.

"We all got together at my place to watch you compete, you were amazing! I can't believe you're actually going to London," Lani gushed, pulling back and grinning excitedly. "I'm gonna host a watch party"

JJ laughed, looping an arm around Lani's back as they walked across the backyard to where her other school friends were waiting. She could see the familiar faces of Tessa, Brenner, Mackenzie, and Clayton sitting around one of the tables that had been set up. Will was hovering behind the table, talking with his friend Matthew, but his attention seemed divided as JJ approached the table.

"There she is, the star pupil of East Allegheny!" Clayton called as they walked over. JJ blushed, unable to fight off the grin that found its way onto her face. Pulling out a chair, she dropped down between Tessa and Brenner, Lani sashaying around the table and finding herself a place on Clayton's lap. Clayton playfully slapped her ass, sending the group up in a fit of laughter while Lani rolled her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Just trying to show us all up hey?" Brenner teased. JJ stuck her tongue out at her friend, leaning forward and grabbing a pretzel from the bowl on the table.

"Always," she shot back, grinning.

"You were so good Jayje, honestly, when they called your name, I was crying almost as hard as you were," Tessa gushed.

"No word of a lie, girl went through like half a box of tissues," Lani teased.

"I was proud, it was a proud moment!" Tessa exclaimed, throwing her arms around JJ as they laughed.

Someone tapped on JJ's upper arm, pulling her attention away. Seeing Will's smiling face, she extricated herself from Tessa's hold and stood up again.

"Can I talk to you? Alone?" he asked softly. She nodded, stepping around the chair and following him back towards the house. Clayton let out a wolf whistle, prompting Will to turn and flip him off while their friends laughed again.

Once they were inside, JJ followed Will into the dining room, where he stopped and stood somewhat anxiously by the table.

"What's up?" she asked softly, watching as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"I... I just wanted to tell you... how amazing you were at Trials. I'm so glad you made the team," he said warmly, a handsome smile crossing his face. "I have to admit, it's pretty amazing to watch your best friend make her dreams come true"

JJ blushed, an abashed smile finding its way onto her face. "Thanks Will"

He shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other, lifting one of his hands and running it through his hair. Lifting his gaze, his eyes met JJ's, and for the first time, she noticed the intensity shining beneath them.

She was surprised to feel the tiniest flutter in her stomach from the way he was looking at her, but she just as quickly brushed it off. He was her best friend… as close as they were, their friendship hadn't experienced a moment like this before, a moment as emotional and intense as her finally achieving her lifelong dream. He was proud… she could see it in his face.

"JJ! Can you come outside?"

Her father's voice made her whip around, smiling at her dad as he leant through the back door.

"Yeah, I'm coming," she called back, looking back towards Will. "Were you going to say something?"

He swallowed hard. "I… yeah, but don't worry… I'll catch you later," he said softly, giving her a soft smile as he started to head towards the door. He brushed her upper arm gently, stirring up the butterflies once more.

Shaking it off, JJ followed him back out of the house, walking towards where her dad was standing at the edge of the deck, an arm cast out towards her. The attention of all their guests was fixed on her parents, and she could already feel a blush creeping up her cheeks. Forcing herself to smile through it, she came to a stop at her dad's side, his arm settling around her shoulders.

"Now that I have your attention… Sandy and I just wanted to thank you all for coming tonight and helping us celebrate what is truly an _amazing_ achievement for our family," Michael started, looking down at JJ with a warm smile before lifting his gaze and attention back to their guests. "All of you have known JJ from some point in her life, whether it was from the day she was born, or your first day of school, or from Nick's gym, but surely throughout all the time you've all known her, you've known her endless passion and dedication to the sport of gymnastics. Since she decided… at the ripe old age of six nonetheless… that she was going to the Olympics, all we have known was for JJ to chase that dream like it was all that mattered in the world. And it's been a difficult two years, but she's finally made it… she's one of the five best gymnasts in the country, and she will be representing the United States at the Olympic Games in a couple of weeks, and we are _so goddamn proud_!"

Everyone erupted into a round of applause, making JJ grin helplessly as Michael tightened his grip on her shoulders.

"So I just wanted to say thank you. All of you. Whether it's in a big or a small way, all of you have had some hand in supporting JJ on this journey. Our biggest thanks, of course, has to go to her wonderful coach, Nick, without whom, JJ may not have made it this far"

Nick lifted a hand in appreciation as JJ's friends and family clapped around him.

"We can't wait to see what JJ's going to achieve in London, but no matter what happens, we'll be proud of her. And we hope you'll all tune in, if you're not travelling with us! July twenty ninth is the first day of women's competition, so make sure you hit up NBC!"

More applause filled their backyard as JJ turned and hugged her dad tightly.

"I know I've said it a million times, but I'm so proud of you baby girl, I love you so much," Michael murmured in her ear, making her smile as she pulled away and turned to her mom. Sandy wrapped her in a loving hug, everything she wanted to say being said in that one simple action. When she pulled away, she pressed a kiss to JJ's forehead, smiling warmly at her before they turned and rejoined the party.

"Hey," she called out as she spotted Will heading back towards their friends. "Didn't you want to tell me something?"

"Oh, yeah," he chuckled as he turned around. "It's alright. It wasn't important. Just… remember that you killed it at Trials… and you're gonna kill it in London. I'm proud of you"

Breaking into an abashed smile, JJ was a little surprised.

"Well… thanks Will. It… that means a lot"

* * *

Hours later, JJ knew she should've been sleeping. After all, she had training early in the morning, and training tired was one of her least favourite ways to spend her days.

But in the darkness of her bedroom, the moonlight illuminating her half packed bag for camp sitting on her chair, she couldn't switch off her mind. For once though, her thoughts weren't focused on how nervous she was about the upcoming preparations for the Games.

Tonight, her thoughts were on Rosaline.

It had been seven long years since her older sister had committed suicide, and still, it felt like she could walk through the door at any moment.

JJ's heart pounded in her chest as her thoughts wandered back to the morning she'd found her sister's lifeless body in the bathtub, covered in blood and ghostly pale. That same evening, London had been announced as the host for the 2012 Olympic Games. 'Her' Games, as she had called them for many years.

"Hey, why are you still awake?"

Turning her head towards the door, JJ sat up as her mom slipped into the room.

"Can't sleep?"

JJ started to shake her head, but seconds later, the tears had risen like a tidal wave and bubbled over, flooding down her cheeks as Sandy closed the gap between them and pulled JJ into her arms.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly, smoothing JJ's hair down as she held her tightly.

"Ros," JJ croaked.

Sandy's heavy sigh told JJ that some of her feelings about her deceased sister were definitely shared by her mother.

"I miss her too," she breathed, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of JJ's head. "I miss her too, baby"

"I wish she could be here… to watch me at the Olympics," JJ stammered, pulling away slightly and lifting her tear stained gaze up towards her mother. "Do you think she'd be proud of me?"

"Of course she would," Sandy whispered, wiping a few tears from JJ's cheeks. "She would be thrilled that you've made the team"

Leaning back into her mother's embrace, JJ sniffed, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand as Sandy rocked them back and forth ever so slightly.

She would make her sister proud at the Olympics. She wasn't just competing for the United States, or her family… she was competing for Rosaline too.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **gymmie2012: honestly don't understand why Martha chose JJ over Jordyn.**_

 _ **flyhigh: fuming that they left the reigning AA champ at home for a glorified beam specialist**_

 _ **jtluher82: who knew being the visual representation of a rich American teenager could buy your way onto an Olympic team?**_

The comments had been rolling through her Twitter feed with such ferocity that by the time she was nearly due to leave for camp, she had disabled all notifications and completely ignored the app altogether.

But curiosity had got the better of her. And that was how she found herself where she was sitting now.

Trawling through the depths of the online gymnastics community, wondering what else people had to say about her inclusion on the Olympic team, she was the internet's equivalent of being neck deep in her search. Her Tumblr tag had been close to the worst, unearthing an abundance of fans who were clearly less than impressed that she was on the team.

 _ **tkatchevmeifyoucan – so let's review the wack decisions Martha made with the team. She left JORDYN FUCKING WIEBER, the REIGNING WORLD AA CHAMPION, off the team in favour of Jennifer Jareau… the world's most glorified beam specialist. And don't even try to argue with me that it wasn't JJ who replaced Jordyn because it absolutely was, and let me explain why. Gabby and Aly were always going as all-arounders. Kyla and McKayla are not going to be used as all-arounders in any sense of the word, so that leaves JJ as the third all-arounder. A spot which SHOULD have been Jordyn's. I'm fuming. Fuming. JJ might be a good gymnast but Martha is delusional if she thinks she can outscore Jordyn as an all-arounder, she couldn't even outscore her at Nationals! If they fall short of team gold, I'm absolutely pinning it on this decision.**_

 _ **mustys-eyeshadow – sorry not sorry but I'm never going to stop being angry that JJ is going to the Olympics instead of Jordyn**_

 _ **gigigienger – all JJ is good for on that team is being eye candy. Let's be real, most guys watching the Games are only going to be thinking about bending her over a balance beam, not what she can do on it**_

Slamming her laptop shut, she squeezed her eyes closed. Her stomach was churning, mostly with anxiety. As if by their own accord, her hands curled into tightly clenched fists.

Where did people get off thinking they could talk about her like that? She clenched her jaw tightly, trying to force the image of the words out of her brain. _'…only going to be thinking about bending her over a balance beam…'._ What sort of disgusting comment even was that? She wasn't some sex object… the fact that people would even think of her like that made her stomach roll terribly. Even if she was sexually active… that was her business. No-one else's.

Did people really hate her that much? Was she going to go to the Olympics as the most hated member of the U.S. Olympic Team? Had Martha actually made the right decision? Surely she was going to change her mind at the camp and put Jordyn on the team.

"JJ! If you want a ride to training, we need to leave now!" her mother called from downstairs, breaking her from her rage filled train of thought. Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath, before hopping up from her desk chair and grabbing her gym bag off the floor.

"Coming!"

* * *

She flipped seamlessly across the beam, her feet making a resounding thud with every impact. Punching hard out of her second flip, she whipped her shoulders around for a full twist… but when her feet came down miles away from the surface of the beam, her heart leapt into her throat.

Seconds later she was lying on her back beneath the beam, staring up at the ceiling as she rubbed her elbow. It had happened so quickly that she didn't register hitting it on the apparatus, but judging by how much it was hurting right now, she knew she must have.

"I hope you don't do that at the Olympics," Nick teased lightly from a few feet away where he was leaning on a stack of foam blocks.

Almost immediately, her somewhat dazed expression was replaced with irritation as she pulled herself to her feet. Without a word or even a second glance at Nick, she pulled herself back up onto the beam.

"Do it again, remember to visualize the line of the beam and keep your body over it," Nick instructed calmly.

"I know," JJ snapped back. She took no notice of the surprised expression that crossed Nick's face, but he just as quickly shook it off.

She swung down, launching herself backwards again. This time, she managed to land the skill on top of the beam, however, not without a huge balance check.

"Stop doubting yourself on every landing. You were right on there and then you second guessed yourself. Just hammer it home," Nick called out encouragingly.

"I'm trying!" JJ said angrily. Nick frowned, clearly not appreciating her tone, but for the moment, he stayed quiet.

She walked back to the end of the beam, setting herself up to try it one more time. When her feet were set, she lifted her arms over her head before swinging them back. Her flips were strong, and the layout full landed much cleaner than the last attempt.

"Much better," Nick said with a clap, pushing off the blocks. "Let's move to bars"

Huffing in frustration, JJ jumped down from the beam, swiping her grips bag off the floor and following Nick as he strode across the carpeted floor to the uneven bars.

"Get your grips on and I'll start chalking for you," he called over his shoulder. JJ scowled, sitting down at the edge of the floor and ripping her grips out of their canvas bag, an action which didn't go unnoticed by Nick.

"What's up with you kiddo? Someone steal your happy pills?" Nick called from the bars, some sort of a grin gracing his face. JJ rolled her eyes, rolling prewrap around her wrists to protect them from chaffing.

"JJ, I get maybe today's just a crappy day, but you were fine this morning, so I'd appreciate it if you would drop the attitude," Nick said, his voice much firmer than before.

"I don't want to do bars today," she grumbled, throwing her grips bag aside when it got in the way of her prep.

"Funnily enough, they're not my favourite to work with you on either because you tend to land on top of me a lot, but it's tough luck because you're going to be in the team final lineup and I really need you to just stay on," Nick said, lightening his tone again in an attempt to win her over.

"Well they can put Aly up seeing as she's a better all-arounder than me anyway!" JJ spat.

"What are you… you know what, never mind," Nick said in exasperation, throwing the block of chalk he was using back into the bucket. "I'm not in the mood to deal with this crap today JJ, so I'm going to go to the office and do something more productive while you sit out here and get this ten year old tantrum out of your system. When you're ready to behave like a seventeen year old and cooperate with me, you can come and get me"

JJ watched through a scowl as he stalked back across the floor towards the foyer. When the slam of the office door rang through the building, she turned back to face the bars.

She wasn't really angry at Nick. How could she be mad at the man who was perpetually in a good mood every morning when he walked into the gym? But the comments from earlier had stung deeper than she'd expected, and the self doubt and frustration had crept back in. She hadn't meant to take it out on him, but somehow… that was what had happened.

Heaving a sigh, she slowly pulled her sweatbands onto her wrists, settling them into place. Once she was happy with them, she pulled her grips on one at a time, buckling them securely around her wrists.

It took a few more minutes before she had them ready to practice, but as she looked up at the bars, her shoulders sagged in defeat.

She didn't want to get up and do anything. But she also didn't want to go and get Nick from the office… her pride was too much for that. She knew she owed him an apology, but it could come later.

She sat there for a few minutes, her face resting in a sulky frown, before she finally got to her feet and walked over to the apparatus. A glance up told her Nick had chalked the high bar for her, but not the low bar. She shrugged it off – she would just have to practice her release moves for now. It was too hard to chalk the bar in grips, and she couldn't be bothered taking the hand straps off again.

Dipping her hands into the chalk bowl, she covered her hands and grips in the white powder, topping it off with a spray of water to set it like a paste.

Once she was satisfied, she walked beneath the bars, jumping up as high as she could and grasping onto the high bar. A few empty swings generated enough momentum for her to cast up into a handstand.

She immediately swung down, arching her body through the position required for a Tkatchev, before flicking up and releasing the bar.

Her fingertips just grazed it on the other side, sending her crashing to her knees on the crash mat.

With an angry punch into the mat, she pulled herself to her feet. Without even bothering to rechalk her grips, she jumped up and grasped the bar again, frustration coursing through her as she pulled herself to handstand atop the bar. She swung down, releasing the bar and soaring over it, but once again, she missed it. This time, her hands were well clear of the bar as she came crashing to the floor.

Screwing up her face in frustration, she got up, hastily using a nearby block of chalk to recoat her grips, before casting it aside and jumping up again.

She attempted it again, but her heart and her mind were battling against her. With a feeble scrape across the top of the bar, she slid off, hitting the mat with a thump.

Angrily punching the mat again, she undid the buckles on her grips, wrenching them off her hands and throwing them away. Hot tears were spilling down her cheeks, dripping down onto the vinyl mat surface beneath her in little puddles.

With a heaving breath she didn't know she'd been holding, the deluge came, her shoulders shaking as she brought a chalky hand up to her face to try and stifle the sobs. It was futile; the tears were coming whether she wanted them or not.

"What's the matter, JJ?" came Nick's voice, much gentler than before. His soft demeanor and the kindness behind his words were enough to send the real reason she'd been acting out rattling up her throat like vomit.

"No-one wants me on this team," she sobbed, her voice harsh behind her tears. "Everyone thinks I stole a place from Jordyn and that she should be the one going to London, not me"

"JJ…," Nick said softly.

"To them I'm just a glorified beam specialist who can't do shit as an all-arounder, and to some people, I'm just the eye candy who every guy is going to want to bend over a balance beam," she spat. Nick winced at the last comment, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes.

"JJ… you can't read what people say online. The couch gymnasts of the world don't know what goes on behind Martha's decision making, you can't put any stock into what they say"

"But what if they're right?" JJ cried, pulling herself to her feet as more tears cascaded down her cheeks. "What if I go to London and completely headcase, what are they going to say then?"

"You can't worry about it," Nick reminded her gently, holding out a hand to steady her. "Your job is to come in here every day and do the work required of you, and repeat the motions in competition. Nothing else. I don't want you reading anything online JJ, because none of it is true. You _earned_ that spot. If it came at the expense of Jordyn, well, that sucks, but so be it. You proved that you were the right fit for Martha's team and if that's not good enough for Jordyn's rabid fans, then tough"

JJ drew in a shuddering breath, her eyes cast down to the floor as she hugged herself tightly beneath the bars.

"You are a good gymnast, JJ, hell, you have the potential to be great. Not that you aren't already, but I know you can do even more one day. I just really need you to believe in yourself for once… it's getting really tiring carrying enough faith for both of us," Nick said, walking towards her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Just promise me you won't read anything else people put online, ok? There will always be people wanting to pull you down, but all you can do is hold your head up high and go out and prove them wrong"

JJ nodded weakly, sniffing as Nick pulled her into a hug.

After a few moments, he pulled away, watching her closely as she bent down to pick up the grips she'd thrown away before. And then one of the comments she'd made resounded in his head.

"Did… did someone really say that? About you and a balance beam?" he asked almost timidly. JJ looked up, only nodding sadly.

"God people are disgusting," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Seriously don't listen to those comments. Not worth giving them the time of day"

Nodding again, JJ slipped her grips back onto her wrists, taking a deep breath to settle herself as she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"C'mon kiddo… let's get this bars routine whipped into shape"


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry this took so long!**

* * *

Between the sweat drenching her leotard and the chalk in her hair, JJ didn't know if she was ever going to feel clean again. Every muscle in her body was screaming for a break, but she was not giving up. Not now.

For she was deep in the woods outside Huntsville, Texas, at the famed U.S. Olympic Training Site, known only as 'the ranch'. Normally when she came to camp, there were roughly twenty other girls accompanying her. But this time, it was just the eight of them who had been named to the Olympic squad. The gym was far quieter than it usually was, giving an almost eerie vibe. But JJ was determined to use it to her advantage as she trained and prepared for the Olympic Games.

"Good training," Martha said in her thick Eastern European accent as the girls stood lined up before her at the end of practice. "You are all working very hard, I am pleased. Remember to perfect every tiniest thing, to achieve the best. Tonight you have little free time, please see the therapists to take care of your bodies and prevent injuries"

With a nod and a smile, she gave the girls their dismissal.

"Thank you Martha, coaches and national staff. Goodbye," they all recited in unison, before breaking from their lineup and heading over to the alcove off the side of the gym where their bags were stored in cubbies.

She must have grimaced as she stepped down from the raised floor of the gym, because Nick immediately approached her, looking somewhat concerned.

"Are you sore?" he asked as she grabbed her USA t-shirt from on top of her bag and tugged it over her head. Turning her head towards him, she jokingly rolled her eyes, getting a grin from him.

"That's an understatement," she said dryly, furthering his grin into a laugh.

"Well, come on, we'll go get you looked at by Larry and then you can jump in the ice tub. Your favourite part of being a gymnast," he teased.

"Oh sure," JJ said sarcastically as Aly sidled up beside her and slung an arm over her shoulders.

"I'll come with you. My back is kinda sore," she said with an out of place dramatic sigh, drawing a laugh from JJ.

With Nick behind them, they headed out of the gym complex and down the hall to the treatment rooms. JJ was the first to enter the room, finding it empty save for Larry Nassar, who was setting up the treatment table.

"Hi JJ," he said with a smile. "How was training? They work you girls way too hard"

"Only way to keep up the consistency if they want to go to the Olympics," Nick replied as he walked across the room and pulled up a chair. JJ grinned.

"How are you, Nick?" Larry asked as JJ dropped her bag and jumped up to sit on the edge of the treatment table.

"As good as I can be when we're being kept prisoner in Satan's armpit," Nick chuckled, dragging the chair over to sit closer to the table. "What about you, how's the wife and kids?"

"Good, good. Enjoying summer vacation," Larry replied.

"Lucky for some," Aly piped up from the other side of the room, making JJ giggle.

"Alright, so what's giving you trouble today?" Larry asked.

"My calves are killing me," JJ said softly. "Mostly down near my Achilles, but it's really sore below my knees as well"

"Alright. Lay down on your stomach and I'll have a look"

Flipping over, she propped herself up on her elbows as Larry placed a hand against the top of her right calf. When he gently squeezed the muscle, feeling for tenderness, she winced.

"Sore?" Larry queried. She nodded, turning her attention back to Nick. As Larry began to massage out the knots in her legs, her attention became fully divulged in Nick, who was flipping through his notebook fervently.

"So your vault was really good, but you have to trust your landing, you always seem to second guess yourself a little bit there," he said after a minute, looking up at her with a small smile. "Your bars could be a little cleaner in places, but overall… I'd say it's pretty good considering 18 months ago you were in a sling and not weight bearing at all"

JJ grinned.

"I'm going to get nitpicky with your beam only because you can be pretty close to perfect and today was a little messy…"

Twenty minutes later, she was hopping off the table as Aly got up and crossed the room for her turn. As she reached the door, she turned and looked back expectantly at Nick, who hadn't moved from his chair.

"You go on, I'll wait with Aly," he said with a smile. "Mihai thinks she's too much of a menace to be left alone"

"Hey!" Aly giggled, sliding onto the table. Nick grinned as JJ shook her head. Pulling her bag higher on her back, she closed her hand around the door handle and turned the latch.

"I'll catch up with you at the ice tubs," Aly called after her as she pushed the door open and stepped out into the hall.

Chewing her lip in thought as she headed through the complex to the ice room, she pushed away the worried thoughts in her mind.

As always after treatments with Dr Nassar, she felt off. Not that he had ever given her a reason to. Nick was always in the room with her, and Larry was a brilliant doctor whom they all trusted. But even with that, he was a strange man. A little withdrawn, even.

Shaking it off, she reached the double doors that led to the ice tub room. Pushing on them, she found McKayla already standing in one of the tubs in her leotard.

"Oh thank god you're here, I was getting really bored! The others have already left, but I thought I would wait and freeze my ass off a little longer until you got here," she said in her excited, shrill voice. JJ grinned, tossing her bag onto the wooden bench and crossing the room. She climbed in, breathing in sharply as the freezing water touched her skin. Immediately, relief seemed to flow into her aching legs, the cold attacking her battered and seized muscles.

"I was so not prepared for how intense this camp was going to be," she breathed as she settled against the edge of the tub.

"I know!" McKayla exclaimed. "I honestly thought it would be like camps, but it's _so_ much harder. But I guess I don't really notice… or mind… because it means I'm going to the Olympics!"

JJ grinned. "That doesn't feel real. I won't believe it until we're walking into the arena"

"Me either. It just feels so crazy, like out of all the girls who could've gone, it's gonna be us!"

In JJ's mind, she saw a flash of Jordyn's face at the team announcement. Tears streaming down her face, her expression reading nothing but utter defeat.

A pang of guilt stabbed her in the stomach. With a quick shrug of her shoulders, she brushed it off, fixing her gaze on McKayla's smiling face.

"You ok?" McKayla asked. JJ nodded, sinking a little lower in the tub to allow the ice to treat her hips.

"I'm fine"

* * *

After dinner, which had been the camp's finest bland chicken and vegetables, JJ was slowly ambling back towards the dorm room she was sharing with McKayla and Aly.

Not looking where she was going, she bumped hard into someone's shoulder, stumbling back in surprise.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in apology as her eyes flew up to meet those of the person she'd knocked.

She was even further thrown when she found Jordyn standing in front of her, scowling at her with intensity she'd never seen before.

"Jordyn, I'm sorry," she said again, much softer. This time though… she wasn't sure she was apologizing for the same thing.

"No you're not," Jordyn whispered. As much as the words stung, JJ was relieved to hear that Jordyn's voice didn't sound as angry as her facial expression seemed to be giving away.

"Jordyn… I'm sorry you're not on the team… I really am," she breathed, reaching out towards Jordyn, who angrily pulled away.

"No you're not," Jordyn repeated, but this time, her voice was filled with sadness. "You get to go to London and make your dreams come true. I get to sit in the stands and watch you compete on a team that everyone's been saying I should be on"

"I didn't make the decision Jordyn… I just went out and competed to the best of my ability," JJ said softly. "I am sorry it wasn't you… but it's not my fault"

Jordyn's shoulders slumped.

"I know," she muttered, before turning and continuing along the deck towards her own dorm room.

Heaving a sigh, JJ crossed the remaining length of the desk between herself and her room. She pushed on the door, entering the room to find McKayla and Aly giggling about something on McKayla's bed. Shooting them a smile, she flopped down onto her own bed, pulling out her phone as she did.

Staring blankly at the screen, she couldn't ignore the gnawing guilt any longer.

Jordyn truly believed she had stolen her place on the team. And maybe, just maybe…

… she believed it too.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Tiny bit angsty at the end!**

* * *

 _ **Hey crazy, hope you're surviving camp out in the butthole of Texas. I kinda wish you were still here, I am beyond supremely bored out of my mind at home. But I'm so excited to watch you and the girls in London, you're gonna be amazing. Don't worry about replying, I know cell service is shit out there, and I don't want to distract you. Good luck!**_

The message had been on her phone when she'd woken up for training that morning. Straightaway, she'd felt a flutter of butterflies in her stomach, similar to when Will had pulled her aside at the party after Trials. It wasn't the same as the gnawing guilt or the pit of anxiety that constantly sat in the pit of her stomach. No, this was different. Confusing, and yet… almost happy.

But she had breakfast and early training to worry about, and so she had pushed it out of her mind and set about getting ready for the day.

Now, she was standing atop the balance beam, drilling her routine over and over. Pressure sets, they were called. She had to perform her routine five times without error in front of all the other girls, their coaches, Marta, and the rest of the staff. It was definitely the worst part of being an elite U.S. gymnast. She would take an arena filled with five thousand overly critical gymnastics fans to the deathly silent Texas gym any day.

She was currently on routine three, and so far, she was doing well. The first routine had had a minor wobble on her mount, but Martha had kindly overlooked it considering the rest of the routine was so strong.

Settling herself after her Onodi to two front aerials series, she flourished her arms to get herself in position for the next part of her routine; the layout full. It was one of the hardest beam skills in gymnastics, and she was quietly proud of the fact that it had become her signature skill.

Swinging her arms down, she leapt back into a backflip, her hands rebounding easily off the suede top of the beam.

As she rebounded into the second flip, a whiff of something that smelt strangely like Will's cologne hit her nose. His face swam through her mind as she punched into the layout full, smiling and handsome.

 _Handsome_?!

With a thump, she slipped from the beam, managing to catch it with her arm as her feet hit the floor to stop herself from landing on her ass. She saw Martha purse her lips out of the corner of her eye, inciting a bubble of doubt in her stomach.

"Come on JJ, finish it!" McKayla called out encouragingly, giving her a supportive clap.

Turning to face the beam, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She willed herself to get it together. This wasn't the time nor the place to be having questionable thoughts and feelings about her best friend. That could wait until after London.

Placing her hands atop the beam, she hauled herself back up, shrugging her shoulders defiantly as she set herself back in place. As she relaxed into the next skill, she took a deep breath, mentally settling herself again.

The rest of the routine was so perfectly on that she wanted to kick herself for even daring to fall. When she dismounted, she turned to where Martha was standing with the rest of the team.

"Three more," Martha said indifferently, her commanding tone communicating to JJ that it was non-negotiable. JJ slumped slightly; she knew the fall meant she had to repeat the routine, but it still sucked to hear it.

With a deep breath, she headed to the other end of the beam to get ready for the next one. Mentally, she was screaming at herself.

Why had she had to be so stupid as to let whatever this ridiculous feeling was for her best friend interrupt the most important training of her life?

* * *

"Michael? I'm home!" Sandy called out as she came into the house early that evening.

"I'm in the kitchen!" Michael called back. Smiling, Sandy dropped her keys into the dish, before slipping her bag from her shoulder and hanging it up on the rack by the door. Smoothing her hands down the front of her shirt, she walked into the kitchen, where Michael was standing by the stove.

"Hi," she said softly, walking over to his side and stretching up to press a kiss to his lips. He smiled, putting an arm around her waist as he used his other hand to stir the contents of the pot on the stove.

"How was your day?" he asked warmly, his thumb rubbing gentle circles where it rested on her hip.

"It was really good. It was nice to see the girls, it's not very often at the moment that I actually get a chance to see my friends," she said happily, leaning into his embrace and resting her head against his shoulder. "What about you? How did you amuse yourself all day?"

Michael chuckled. "I started off cleaning the garage. I ended up online shopping"

Sandy laughed, playfully slapping his chest as she straightened up. "You are worse than JJ with a credit card"

"Who do you think she gets it from?" Michael scoffed, getting another laugh from his wife. "It's all useful stuff, I promise"

"Sure it is Michael," Sandy chuckled. "So what's on the menu?"

"Fettucine alfredo and garlic bread," Michael replied, lifting the arm around Sandy's waist to reach over and turn off the stove. "I thought… since we have the house to ourselves until we go to London… we could have a little bit of a romantic night in," he said softly, his voice lowering as he smiled lovingly at his wife.

"That sounds wonderful to me," she replied in a voice just above a whisper, stretching up to kiss him once more before turning away to get plates and cutlery from the drawers.

As they talked easily and lightly over dinner, Sandy was amazed at how much more relaxed she felt compared to the time leading up to the Olympic Trials. Even though they had told themselves that it was JJ's dream, and that they would muddle their way through it if she didn't make the team, she had been feeling much of the pressure JJ had been under.

Now that the hardest part was over, they could all breathe. It was like a weight had lifted from their shoulders.

After they'd eaten and cleaned up, they retreated to the lounge room, where Sandy lavished in the warm embrace of her husband's arms as they cuddled up together on the couch. Every so often, Michael would turn his head and press a gentle kiss to the top of her head, flooding her body with loving warmth.

About halfway through the second program they were watching, Michael suddenly turned, looking down at Sandy with a happy smile on his face.

"Do you remember the day JJ was born?" he asked softly.

Giving him a curious smile, Sandy sat up slightly. "Of course I do… what made you think of that?"

"I… have no idea," Michael chuckled. "I guess I was just thinking about how… she's going to the _Olympics_ , and yet I still swear some days she's that tiny little girl we brought home from the hospital"

Sandy's lips quirked into a teasing grin.

"You were so convinced she was going to be a boy"

" _You're doing great Sandy! Not too much longer and your baby will be here. Just two more pushes!"_

" _That's what you said two pushes ago," Sandy groaned, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt another contraction beginning to take hold deep in her abdomen._

" _You can do it sweetheart," Michael said softly, bringing Sandy's hand up to his lips and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "You're doing so well"_

 _Feeling the urge to push, Sandy gritted her teeth, pushing as hard as she could as the contraction took hold._

 _A cry of pain escaped her lips, prompting Michael to squeeze her hand tightly._

" _You're almost there my love, you're almost there," he coached, brushing a few loose strands of her hair back from her face._

" _I'm so tired," Sandy gasped as she collapsed back against the bed._

" _Just one more," Michael said softly, kissing her hand again. "Looks like he's testing you already"_

 _Sandy let out a tired chuckle. "You seem very confident that it's a boy"_

 _Michael shrugged, smiling. "Call it intuition"_

 _Tightening her grip on his hand, Sandy began to push as yet another contraction hit her. With another guttural cry, she pushed with all her might, willing it to be the last._

 _Moments later, their baby slipped past the seal of her skin and into the doctor's waiting hands. Almost immediately, the room was filled with lusty cries as the baby took its first breaths._

" _There we go… you have a beautiful baby girl!" Dr Hansen exclaimed, lifting the baby up so Sandy and Michael could see her._

 _Sandy burst into tears, a happy smile crossing her face as Michael leaned down and pressed a loving kiss to the top of her head._

" _I told you we weren't having a boy," she said tearfully, turning to look at her husband. Michael couldn't speak, his throat swollen with impending tears as he nodded in disbelief._

" _Dad, do you want to cut the cord?" Dr Hansen asked, holding out a pair of medical scissors to Michael. Michael nodded again, taking the scissors. With slightly trembling hands, he snipped the cord, separating mother and daughter._

" _Here's your baby girl," said the young nurse, Carol, lifting their newly bundled baby girl into Sandy's waiting arms. Sandy was tearful as she nestled her sweet girl against her chest, the newborn's cries quieting down as she recognised her mother's heartbeat. She gazed up at them, her eyes wide and bright, her little button nose twitching ever so slightly every time she opened and closed her little mouth._

" _Oh she's beautiful," Michael breathed, wiping a few tears from his cheeks. Leaning over Sandy's shoulder, he was already captivated by his new baby daughter. Two daughters… one raucous yet loving little boy and two little princesses. He couldn't think of a more perfect way to complete his family._

" _Do you want to pick her name?" Sandy asked softly as she trailed a finger down the soft skin of her baby girl's cheek. "I chose Rosaline's… we chose Jason's together… I think you should choose her name"_

 _Lifting her arms, she gently passed the now quiet baby girl into her husband's arms, wiping away her tears once her hands were free. She watched on, the love for her husband swelling immensely in her chest as he watched her coo over his little girl. She chuckled to herself as she did; in about fifteen years, she was going to have a hard time trying to date any boys with Michael around._

" _You are just beautiful," Michael whispered, unable to help the happy smile on his face. Looking up at Sandy, he took a deep, calming breath._

" _What about Jennifer?" he asked softly. "After my grandmother"_

 _Sandy mulled it over for a moment, her eyes never leaving the sweet face of her button nosed baby girl._

" _Jennifer Jareau," she said softly, testing out the name on her tongue. She broke into an adoring smile, lifting a hand to the bundle of blankets in Michael's arms. "It's perfect"_

 _Michael beamed, his attention falling back to his little girl._

 _Jason, Rosaline, Jennifer._

 _Three beautiful children._

"The only time in my life I've ever been wrong," Michael said defiantly, sending Sandy into a fit of laughter.

"You're so full of it," she exclaimed through her laughter, prompting Michael to grab her around the waist. Grinning cheekily, he pinned her down to the couch, tickling her sides as he did.

"Michael!" she exclaimed, trying to push him away. He relented immediately, leaning down with a smile and pressing a deep kiss to her lips.

When he pulled away, Sandy felt like the temperature in the room had risen inexplicably high. Laughter was forgotten, nothing but love and adoration coursing through her veins.

"You're not wrong now," she breathed, tugging him back down.

And just like that, their evening was wasted away... in the best way possible.

* * *

Nick had pulled her aside after dinner.

"What happened this morning? You never miss a verification," he had asked, firmly but still somewhat concerned.

'My heart rate seems to increase every time I think about my best friend,' had been the immediate thought popping into her head, but she'd shaken it off.

"I... I don't know. I just... lost my focus. It won't happen again," she'd assured him in the end. He'd given her a questioning look, but hadn't pushed the issue further.

Now sitting on her bunk, she was chewing her lip in thought as Aly and McKayla jabbered away at top speed across the room.

What on earth was wrong with her? Will was just her friend. Her best friend of ten years who supported her in gymnastics, was always there to help her take a load off after training, smelt really good-

No. No. He _did_ smell good, but that was besides the point! He was her friend, and she was his. Nothing was going to change.

But then this morning... his face had wandered into her mind, all smiling and attractive...

Letting out a groan, JJ flopped over on her bed, burying her face in her pillow. It immediately caught Aly and McKayla's attention.

"JJ, what's wrong? Are we annoying you?" Aly asked quickly.

"No," JJ mumbled into her pillow.

"What's up girl?" McKayla asked sweetly, coming to sit on the edge of JJ's bed. Aly followed, kneeling down beside the bed as she rested her elbows on the mattress.

JJ sighed, rolling onto her side so she was looking at her friends.

"I think I like someone," she said in a mortified whisper, not failing to notice the way both of their eyes lit up.

"You do?! Who?! Wait! Is that a bad thing?" McKayla rattled off all at once. JJ sat up immediately.

"Yes! Because now I'm going to be distracted, and then I'm going to mess up at the Games, and not to mention the fact that he probably doesn't like me back and he's my friend, he's supposed to just be my friend-"

"Oh my GOD, you DO like him!" Aly shrieked, leaping up as she threw her hands up in excitement. "I KNEW IT!"

"Aly shut up!" JJ pleaded, making McKayla laugh as Aly shoved her way onto the mattress and looked at JJ with wide, excited eyes.

"Who are we talking about?" McKayla asked. Aly whipped around, a wild smile crossing her face.

" _Will_ ," she said in a sickly sweet, drawn out voice. JJ closed her eyes, wanting the ground to swallow her whole.

"JJ, this isn't a bad thing that you like him. It just shows you're actually somewhat _normal_ ," Aly said, grabbing JJ's hands as the blonde opened her eyes again. "And to be fair... he couldn't not like you back, I mean look at you. You're stunning"

A pink flush crept up JJ's cheeks as McKayla nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"But what if he doesn't?" she asked, her voice smaller than she'd ever heard it before.

Because admitting she liked him as more than a friend also meant accepting that he may not feel the same way. And she wasn't sure if she could handle that if she fully accepted her feelings for him. What if Will wanted someone... normal? Someone who was always there?

Aly looked at her sadly, squeezing her hand.

"Then you learn to just be friends," she said softly. "But don't get too ahead of yourself... worry about it after London"

She must have still looked incredibly worried, because the next thing Aly did was pull her into a tight hug. She held on for what felt like forever, and JJ found herself wishing that it was enough to make all the fear and all the doubt go away.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: It all begins soon!**

* * *

"Ok… ok… I love you too. Have a safe trip tomorrow," Sandy was saying softly as she walked into the bedroom. Michael looked up from his book, watching with a smile as Sandy chuckled at something on the other end of the line. His heart seemed to swell as he watched her eyes crease up with laugh lines. As much as Sandy hated her lines ("they show my age!"), he thought that she was every bit as beautiful as the day they had first met.

"Yes, tell Aly I love her too," she said, making Michael laugh as he closed his book and set it down on the nightstand.

"Ok sweet girl… go get some sleep, you've got a long day tomorrow," Sandy said gently, coming around the bed to sit on the edge. "Goodnight. I love you"

With a smile, Sandy pulled the phone down from her ear, hanging up the call before she turned to Michael with a smile.

"I'm guessing that was JJ," he said softly. "And Aly by the sounds of it"

"Yeah," Sandy chuckled, reaching over to set her phone down on the nightstand before pulling the covers back. "Aly yelled out in the background, 'what about me Sandy, don't you love me too?'"

Michael laughed. "She's wild"

"Couldn't be a better contrast to JJ," Sandy said with a grin, sinking into the bed.

"How is JJ?" Michael asked, holding out his arm as Sandy shuffled in beside him.

"Nervous," Sandy said, leaning against Michael and laying her head on his shoulder.

"What did she say?"

"She didn't have to say anything. I heard it plain as day in her voice. She's still doubting herself"

Michael let out a heavy sigh, running his fingers through Sandy's hair.

"I just hope the stress isn't stopping her from taking care of herself," Sandy mused softly. "If there was ever a time to slip back into bad habits, it would be now"

Michael remained silent. He remembered all too well the time JJ had stopped eating at a training camp when she was thirteen. Even worse was that the coach who had 'accidentally' caused that incident was also present at the Olympic training camp… and the environment of the USA Gymnastics program made it very hard for the girls to stand up for themselves.

* * *

 _JJ had never been so glad to see the bland preparations the kitchen staff at the ranch tried to pass off as food. She had worked her butt off all day in the training gym, and now she was starving. It was the kind of gnawing hunger she just couldn't possibly ignore._

 _She was at the end of the line as they all moved along the warmers. Her stomach growled appreciatively as she heaped her plate with boiled vegetables. She grabbed a bread roll as she passed, before approaching the warmer holding the grilled chicken._

 _Practically salivating over it, she grabbed the plastic tongs, picking up one, then a second piece of chicken and placing them both on her plate._

" _What do you think you're doing?" came a firm voice behind her. She turned, looking up at the severe face of John Geddert. Immediately, she glanced between him and the chicken on her plate, embarrassment settling deep in her stomach._

" _I… I'm just hungry," she said sheepishly._

" _Obviously staying in shape isn't all that important to you if you're going to be greedy," he said harshly. "You're already struggling to transition between the bars, imagine what a second piece of chicken will do"_

 _Biting back tears, JJ dipped her head as he walked past her to the coaches table. Her lower lip quivering, she picked up one of the pieces from her plate with the tongs and placed it back in the warmer. Swallowing hard to fight back the tears burning her eyes, she turned and headed over to join the girls, dropping down into a seat beside Aly. The girls were all talking animatedly as they are, but she was only half paying attention to the conversation._

 _After being practically famished all afternoon, she had completely lost her appetite. She didn't want to be seen as the greedy kid who ate too much to be able to do gymnastics properly._

 _She gazed sadly at her chicken, pushing the vegetables around her plate. She managed a few mouthfuls of the vegetables, but most of the eagerly awaited dinner remained abandoned on her plate._

 _Half an hour later, she was carrying her plate over to the bins with the other girls to scrape it off when someone stopped her._

" _You didn't even eat it all," came the same stern voice from earlier. She kept her head down, fixing her eyes on the plate as she willed herself not to burst into tears._

" _Think before you take so much next time," he said harshly, wrenching the plate from her grip and carrying it over to the bins himself._

 _Turning on her heel, JJ dashed out of the cafeteria and along to the bathrooms. She'd barely made it into the thankfully deserted bathroom when she started to cry._

 _Hurrying into one of the stalls, she slammed it closed, locking it with shaking hands before she slid to the floor. Burying her face into her hands, she let the sobs come thick and fast._

* * *

 _The rest of the camp had passed all too slowly for JJ. John's comments had played over and over in her mind, and no matter what she did, she couldn't help comparing herself to the other girls in training. Many of them tumbled and flipped so easily, their tiny frames helping them achieve a look of effortlessness._

' _ **You're already struggling to transition between the bars…'**_

 _The words played on a cruel loop in her head all the way home to Pittsburgh. She'd hardly eaten since that encounter in the cafeteria, nibbling on a handful of vegetables at every meal. On top of that, she'd worked like crazy in the gym._

 _Maybe she'd be able to swing bars well soon._

" _Alright kiddo, looks like this is where I leave you," Nick said warmly as they came out of the arrivals gate at the airport and spotted Michael straight away. "I'll see you on Monday"_

" _Bye," she said softly, giving him a small smile before dragging her duffel over to her dad._

" _Hey peanut," Michael said happily, wrapping her in a tight hug once she reached him. "I missed you"_

" _I missed you too," she said sweetly, holding on for a little longer._

" _How was camp?" Michael asked once they'd pulled apart, bending down to pick up her duffel and hauling it over his shoulder._

" _It was fine. I'm really tired though," she replied, falling into step beside her father as they walked out of the terminal._

" _Shall we get some ice-cream on the way home?"_

 _At the mention of her favourite sugary treat, JJ perked up. But just seconds later, John's voice was in her head, accusing her of being greedy, insinuating that any extra food was going to make her gain weight._

" _Um… not today," she said softly as they reached Michael's truck. He stopped in surprise, looking down at his daughter._

" _Are you feeling alright?" he asked genuinely, holding a hand to her forehead._

" _I'm ok," she insisted. "I just don't really feel like ice-cream today. I just want to go home"_

 _Michael stared at her for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders and lifting her duffel into the back. "If you say so peanut"_

* * *

 _She'd hardly touched her dinner, instead pushing her food around her plate in silence. Thankfully, her parents hadn't questioned it, attributing it to being tired from camp._

 _A little while later, she was coming down the stairs for a glass of water. Her stomach was growling, sharp hunger pangs stabbing deep in her abdomen. She hoped some water would help settle it down._

 _Entering the kitchen, she found her mom washing up the last of the dishes from dinner._

" _Hey sweetheart," Sandy said upon hearing JJ enter the room. "You didn't have much to say about camp… how did it go?"_

" _It was fine," JJ said softly, crossing to the sink and grabbing a clean glass out of the dish drainer. She turned on the tap to fill it. "We worked super hard. Aly was complaining about how she'd never feel her arms again"_

 _Sandy chuckled as JJ shut off the tap and raised the glass to her lips. "That girl is such a character"_

 _Silence fell between them as JJ slowly sipped at the glass of water._

" _So I heard from Jason while you were away. He and Katie are coming up to visit in two weeks, won't that be good?"_

 _As her mom talked absently to her, JJ noticed how unsteady she felt on her feet. The room seemed too bright, every movement seeming to be too much. Straightening up a little so her weight was completely on her feet, she took a deep breath._

" _Are you sure you're feeling ok JJ? You're very quiet tonight," Sandy said gently. JJ nodded, biting hard on the inside of her lip. She couldn't see as clearly… her eyes felt fuzzy._

 _Was everything getting darker?_

 _Reaching out, she made to set the glass down on the counter. She let go of it, but just seconds later, the glass shattered all over the floor._

" _JJ!" came her mother's surprised voice._

 _The next thing JJ knew, she was sitting on the floor, her back pressed up against the corner cabinet, her mother kneeling worriedly in front of her._

" _JJ, honey, are you alright? Where do you feel sick?" Sandy asked anxiously, reaching out and cupping JJ's cheek in her hand. "Oh sweetie, you're so pale. Maybe we should take you to the hospital"_

" _No, I'm ok," JJ croaked._

" _I don't think you are, you practically passed out on me just now!" Sandy admonished. "When was the last time you ate?"_

 _The lie was on the tip of her tongue, a poised and ready to go "I ate lunch at the ranch", but she couldn't force it out of her mouth. Instead, she started to cry, burying her face in her hands as Sandy gathered her into her arms._

" _Oh baby… have you not been eating?" Sandy asked softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head._

" _One of the coaches told me off for taking two pieces of chicken," JJ sobbed, clutching at her mother's shirt. "I wasn't… he said I was greedy, but I… I was just hungry Mom… but I felt… I feel like… if I eat too much I'm… I'll be too big to do gymnastics"_

" _Oh sweetheart, no," Sandy gushed, smoothing JJ's hair back as she rocked her back and forth. Anger was already boiling in the pit of her stomach. How could a coach, whose life work was to teach children, say something so callous to an impressionable young girl?_

" _Your body is your tool for what you do… and if you don't eat properly, you won't have the energy to do what you need to do. If you don't eat enough, your body will start looking for energy in other places and start burning your muscle. That's when you can get really sick," she explained gently. "Come on sweetheart, I'll make you something to eat. You're probably starving"_

 _Numbly obliging, JJ allowed her mother to help her to her feet and over to the kitchen table. She sat down in the same chair she'd occupied at dinner, watching through wet eyes as Sandy returned to the kitchen to sweep up the broken glass._

" _Why aren't you mad?" she asked quietly, sniffling as she spoke._

" _Why would I get mad?" Sandy countered, dumping the glass into the bin and turning to face her youngest child. "You're only a young girl, JJ… it's ok to admit that sometimes you don't know any better. God knows Ros didn't either"_

 _JJ looked up in surprise at the mention of her sister's name. "What do you mean?"_

 _Sandy heaved a sigh, walking over to the cupboard as she started to speak._

" _Ros had some issues with food when she was about your age. Some of the boys… some of the boys at her school were teasing her, calling her fat… she took it to heart and stopped eating for a little while. It took her passing out in the shower one night for me to notice, but luckily, it hadn't been going on for too long when I did," she explained as she returned to the counter with a loaf of bread, and two jars of spread in her hands._

" _I never knew that," JJ said softly._

 _Sandy gave her a sad smile. "You were only six when it happened JJ. Lots of things happened with your brother and sister that you never noticed… because you were a little girl and it wasn't your job to be worried about it. And Ros always loved how much you looked up to her… she didn't want to pass off anything bad to you"_

 _JJ sat in silence, mulling over her mother's words as Sandy prepared her a sandwich._

 _Ros had had food issues… she wondered briefly if that had played a part in her sister's death. But the stab of pain that brought to her chest made her quickly push it away._

" _Here you go," Sandy said gently, placing a PB &J sandwich down in front of JJ before taking a seat beside her. "Eat it really slowly ok? Little bites. Or your stomach is going to rebel and you'll throw it back up"_

 _JJ nodded, picking up one of the halves of the sandwich and taking a small bite from the corner. With it in her mouth, her stomach suddenly growled, thrilled to be receiving nutrition._

" _Who was this coach?" Sandy asked quietly after a minute or so._

 _JJ turned her face towards her mom. Again, she considered bluffing… but who was she to protect John Geddert? Did he even deserve it?_

 _No._

" _Jordyn's coach," she said softly. "John Geddert… he's really mean"_

" _He's also not your coach," Sandy reminded her gently. "We pay Nick to train you, not John. The only other person who has the right to tell you what to do is Nick… and god forbid he ever said anything like that to you because I would tell him what's good very fast"_

 _JJ managed a small giggle. It was no secret to her that Nick was just a little bit afraid of her mom and her protective instincts._

" _I want you to listen to Nick. Not John. Ok? Now if John was to tell you something that would actually help your skills, like to point your toes? That's fine. You show him the respect of listening to him then. But he does not get to tell you how to eat, or what to do outside of the gym, capiche?"_

 _JJ nodded._

" _If it really worries you baby, your dad and I can take you to a nutritionist? They will be able to help you figure out what's best for your body for all your training needs. Certainly they'll have a better idea than I do!"_

 _JJ smiled, managing a nod as she looked up at her mom._

" _If you think it will help," she said softly._

" _I think it couldn't hurt. You're thirteen, you're about to go through puberty and probably have a growth spurt, so I'd imagine that that, coupled with all your training… it's probably not the worst idea to have someone guide you through it in terms of how and what to fuel your body with"_

" _Ok," JJ said, setting the sandwich down on the plate and reaching over to hug her mom. "Thanks for not freaking out on me"_

 _Sandy smiled, blinking back a tear as she pressed a kiss to the top of JJ's head._

" _Never in a million years baby girl"_

* * *

" _Go get ready for practice," Sandy said softly as she and JJ walked side by side into the gym foyer the next morning. JJ nodded, heading off towards the locker rooms._

 _Seeing Nick headed towards the foyer, Sandy waited patiently for him to reach her; parents weren't allowed on the gym floor._

 _When he looked up and spotted her waiting for him, he broke into a confused smile. It wasn't very often he saw Sandy in the gym. She normally dropped JJ off and left, while Michael came back to pick her up._

" _Hi Sandy… how are you?"_

" _I'm good, thanks, yourself?" she replied calmly._

" _Can't complain… what can I do for you?"_

" _I was wondering if we could talk for a minute," Sandy said. "Privately?"_

" _Sure," Nick nodded. "We'll go into my office"_

 _She smiled, following as he led the way down the hall. He opened the door to his office, standing aside to allow Sandy into the room first._

" _Is something the matter?" he asked somewhat nervously as he closed the door behind them and moved across the room to stand behind his desk._

" _JJ came home from camp the other day in a very strange state," Sandy said with a sigh. "She wasn't talking, and just didn't seem to have much of an interest in what was going on"_

" _I did notice that on the plane home actually, but I figured she was just tired," said Nick._

" _So did I. However, when she practically passed out in front of me in our kitchen that evening, I got to the real truth," Sandy said firmly, noticing when Nick's eyes widened. "She hadn't been eating for pretty much all the time she was away. Because a coach named John Geddert told her off for taking more than one piece of chicken the first night of the camp and insinuated that eating too much would make her gain weight and be unable to do gymnastics"_

 _Nick groaned, sitting down in his chair as he dragged a hand down his face._

" _God I hate that man," he muttered. "If JJ told you he's an asshole, Sandy, he really is. I honestly don't know why he's allowed to be around kids"_

" _Well, I'd really appreciate it if he didn't put his two cents in for my daughter," Sandy stated firmly._

" _No, I will definitely speak to him about what he says to gymnasts that aren't his to coach. Thank you for telling me," Nick replied._

" _And Nick, I know you would never intentionally let any harm come JJ's way, but I'd appreciate it if, when you're away at camp, you could be a bit more… present? Just… if you notice she's acting strangely, or in this instance, not eating, if you could step in in our absence," Sandy suggested. "I'm not saying you weren't looking out for her, but…"_

" _No of course. I'm sorry I didn't notice it this time around, I'll definitely keep a closer eye on her whenever I can," Nick insisted. "Is she alright though? After the other night?"_

" _She's ok," Sandy said with a smile. "Still a little quiet, but she's eating, which is good. I promised her we would take her to a nutritionist. Just so that she has someone who is there to guide her through what she should be eating for the things she wants to do"_

" _Good plan," Nick said with a nod. Sighing heavily, he looked up at his gymnast's mother. "Sandy, I'm really sorry this happened. I promise I'll look out for her more in the future"_

 _Sandy gave him a small smile._

" _Thank you, Nick"_

* * *

"Stress gave me food issues at her age… I suddenly became convinced I didn't like my body, my thighs were too big… and I didn't have to perform in front of the world in a tiny leotard," Sandy said heavily, her mind wandering back from its reminisce.

"I like your thighs," Michael said, making Sandy smile.

"Believe me, I know," she chuckled, stretching up to kiss him. "You've always been very open about how you feel about my body"

"I think you're perfect," Michael said softly, kissing her lips gently. "And I think JJ is beautiful too. I know you're worried… but she has Nick looking out for her. He's not going to let her slip back down. Once she gets there and she's got one day of competition under her belt, she'll be alright"

"I know," Sandy breathed. "I just hope she knows that too"

Silence fell around them, the only sounds being the gentle in and out of their breaths. After a short while, Michael turned his face back towards his wife.

"I can't believe we've raised an Olympian. Who would have thought we of all people would raise a kid who'd end up making an Olympic team?" Michael chuckled. Sandy laughed.

"You seem to doubt our abilities as parents"

"Isn't that a required trait of being a parent?" he laughed. "Constantly doubting yourself?"

Sandy dropped her head to his chest, letting out a sigh as she absently played with the fabric of his shirt.

"You know… in a few years it's just going to be us. Just us and this big old house," she mused softly.

"I say we sell it. Buy a caravan and become gypsys. And never tell Jason and JJ where we are," Michael joked. Sandy laughed, hitting his chest lightly.

"You are awful"

He chuckled, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "But when we get the house to ourselves… it'll be like when we were newlyweds all over again"

Sandy laughed. "I hope you don't plan on lifting me up and pinning me to every wall in this house like when we were newlyweds. We need our savings for travelling, not the chiropractor"

Michael pulled back, looking scorned. "Excuse me, I'm not that old!"

"Michael, you put your back out playing golf at the club"

Laughing, Michael pulled her back into his arms, his chuckles fading into her hair as they lay staring at the ceiling. With absent motions, he traced soft circles on Sandy's arm, making her smile.

"We'll finally get to see the world together," he breathed softly, his eyes remaining fixed on the ceiling. "Beaches in Hawaii… croissants in Paris… noodles in Japan"

"I can't wait," Sandy whispered with a smile.

Michael tipped his head down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "But first… watching the Olympics in London. Just one of the many wonderful places I can't wait to see with you"

"I love you," Sandy said softly, lifting her face to catch Michael's lips. He kissed her gently, love and adoration for his wife clear in every nuance of his touch.

"I love you too," he murmured, pulling away with a smile before reaching behind him and turning off his bedside lamp. "Come on my love… let's get some sleep"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry this took a month, it's been a little crazy!**

* * *

" _Do you ever think about how weird kissin' is?"_

 _JJ turned her head to the right. She was hanging upside down from the monkey bars by her knees, happily showing off her agility in front of Will. Now, he was standing on the ground off to one side, looking at her with a dopey grin._

" _Sometimes," she giggled. "I mean, I see Jason kissing his girlfriend all the time… it's so gross, he looks like he's trying to eat her face off"_

 _Will laughed, taking a couple of steps forward until he was standing just below her. "My brothers do that too. But it must be nice, because they keep doin' it"_

 _JJ giggled, swinging back and forth ever so slightly as a thoughtful look crossed her face._

" _We could try it," she said softly. "See what it's like"_

 _Will looked surprised, before he took another step towards her._

" _Well, are you gonna come down?"_

 _JJ laughed, shaking her head. "You'll have to catch me"_

 _Quick as a flash, Will had reached out, grabbing her cheeks. Then his lips were against hers, a quick brush of soft skin, before he just as quickly pulled away._

 _Surprised, JJ momentarily forgot where she was, and relaxed her legs. With a squeal, she slipped from the bars, landing on the rubber play surface with a thump._

" _JJ!"_

 _But she was already giggling, rolling onto her back as she rubbed her head._

" _I'm fine," she laughed, accepting his hand to pull her back to her feet. When she was standing up once more, she brushed herself off, before looking into her friend's bright blue eyes._

" _Maybe we won't do that again," Will said with a laugh._

" _Yeah… it's weird!" JJ giggled._

" _Come on… I'll race ya back to your house!"_

With a sudden intake of breath, JJ snapped her eyes open to surrounding darkness.

Aside from the constant hum of the engines, the cabin was mostly silent.

Shrouded in the darkness, permeated only by the scattered soft light from the odd entertainment screen, JJ had restlessly tried for what felt like hours to get some decent sleep. Even so, it had only been about three hours since they had taken off from Houston, and only about an hour since the meal service had concluded. She guessed she must have fallen asleep, but it was certainly not the best sleep she'd ever had.

Lifting the window shade, she leaned forward to look out the window. Far below them, she could see the pale outlines of the clouds. The lights on the end of the wing were flashing repeatedly, briefly illuminating the dark night with bright light.

The frigid air from outside seemed to be radiating off the glass, so she lowered the shade again and pulled the airline blanket a little higher up her body. She wasn't exactly cold. She really just wanted to be snuggled up. Maybe it would help her sleep.

"You ok kiddo?" came Nick's quiet voice from beside her. Turning to look at him, she managed a weak smile, followed by a yawn that betrayed her level of alertness. He chuckled, teasingly nudging her leg with his knee as she grinned and got herself comfortable again.

"Just tired. I hate sleeping on planes," she mumbled, tipping her head to the side so it was resting against the flap of the headrest.

"Tell me about it," Nick groaned. "But best to try and catch some Zs before we land, you know Marta will probably have you all in training three hours after getting off the plane. No excuses if you can't throw a gold medal winning beam set two seconds after you disembark"

JJ chuckled softly, nodding in agreement.

"But seriously kid… are you alright? You've been really quiet the last few days"

JJ stayed silent for a moment, her mind wandering back to the thoughts of her best friend that seemed to invade her mind at every minute. The lingering self doubt that threatened every minute of her waking existence.

It was stupid, really, but she already felt a little homesick. She hated that she felt it… she was almost eighteen, she would be of legal drinking age in the UK in just under two weeks. Almost a legal adult, travelling across the world to represent her country at the Olympic Games, and all she wanted most days was a hug from her mom.

"I'm alright. Just kinda nervous… it's a lot of pressure," she said eventually.

"Have you been eating properly?" Nick asked cautiously. He remembered all too well the day Sandy Jareau had marched into his office, ripe with anger over the fact that John Geddert had scared JJ out of eating. He also knew that while she was on edge from camp and the pressure of the Olympics already, being around John could certainly heighten that.

"Yeah," JJ said, looking up and giving him a soft smile. "I'm ok Nick. I'll be even better once we get into the arena for competition"

Grinning, Nick held up his fist. "That's my girl"

JJ beamed, bumping her fist against his before she snuggled down in her seat to try and get some sleep. She listened as Nick settled in beside her. Barely ten minutes later, his breathing had evened out, slow and deep, indicating that he had managed to fall asleep.

'That's just unfair,' she thought, grinning to herself as she shuffled around to find a comfortable position.

Her mind wandered back to the frenetic thoughts from just a few days earlier. The panic that had closed in her chest when she'd felt those feelings swirling through her brain.

She didn't know why it scared her so much. Maybe because the friendship she had with Will was good and true. He was someone she always wanted to have in her life… was she afraid of messing things up?

She knew she was stressed out from the impending Olympics. And stress always had her reaching out for comfort wherever she could get it. Something that reminded her of the familiarity and safety of home, something that made her feel warm and comforted.

Perhaps that was all that had happened. Strung out on stress and wired for competition, she'd read too far into Will's little nuances and behaviors and let her mind run away from her. He was her best friend, always there for her, and her mind had taken it further than she'd anticipated.

'Yes,' she thought resolutely to herself. 'That's all. I'm stressed, worried, and homesick, and I just want my friends and family'

With a heavy sigh, she sunk a little further down, her heavy eyes already dragging closed as the plane continued to cruise towards her ultimate dream come true.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry I haven't been around, I've spent the last two months travelling the United States and Canada! It was an amazing trip, and one of the biggest highlights… I ACTUALLY MET AJ COOK. No word of a lie. I have a photo to prove it.**

 **I also met Jordon (littleoblivion) in person and we had such an amazing weekend in New York City! It was unreal going from online friends who just text to stay in touch to actually standing in front of each other and having a real conversation! I was so sad when we said goodbye at the subway station at the end of it all, but I'm sure we'll see each other again soon!**

 **Jordon is also my 'witness' (she wasn't really there but she knows it happened) to meeting AJ! Haha!**

* * *

"Next!"

Stifling a yawn, JJ shuffled up to the desk, hoisting her backpack higher on her shoulder as she handed her passport over to the immigration officer.

"What brings you to the UK?" asked the officer as he took her passport from her hand.

"Competing in the Olympics," JJ mumbled halfheartedly, fighting to keep from yawning again as she spoke.

"And how long do you intend to stay in the United Kingdom?"

"Twenty eight days," JJ replied. "I fly back on the thirteenth of August"

"You're not intending to work, study, or live in the UK on your current visa?"

JJ shook her head. The officer gave her a smile, stamping her passport and closing it before handing it back to her.

"Enjoy your stay, and good luck in the Games"

"Thank you," JJ said quietly, readjusting her bag once more before walking away from the desk. Just ahead of her were Kyla and Gabby, and so she quickly fell into step beside them as they joined the throng of passengers making their way to the baggage claim hall. The three of them remained silent as they shuffled their way towards the carousel that had been assigned to their flight.

With a sigh, JJ dropped her bag down by her feet as they stood alongside the carousel. They had clearly come through immigration quickly; the carousel was not live, and there were no bags on it.

"I saw you yawning at that immigration officer," Kyla giggled, breaking the silence between them. "He must've thought you were the most disinterested Olympic athlete ever"

JJ laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, you know, the Olympics are great and all, but there's _so_ many other things I could be doing right now. Like sleeping"

Gabby and Kyla both laughed. At that moment, the alarm on the carousel rang, signaling that the bags were mere moments away. They stood in silence once more, watching as the assortment of luggage began dropping down onto the carousel. The plane had been mostly carrying the US Olympic team, so all the bags were near identical, save for the identifying tags and ribbons they had all tied to them.

It took a while for them to identify their bags amongst the flurry, but soon enough, all eight of the girls and the national team staff had collected their things. It was a quick pass through customs with nothing to declare, and finally, they were outside in the early morning London sunshine. It was there on the concourse that they bid goodbye to the alternate training squad. Jordyn looked positively miserable as she said goodbye to the five girls on the team, and the hug she gave JJ was as brief as it could possibly have been.

As the official team made their way over to the buses taking athletes to the Village, JJ had to wonder if she was ever going to see Jordyn, Sarah and Elizabeth again. For many, the Olympics were the decided end of the road, whether they made the team or not. She knew Sarah and Elizabeth were heading off to college soon; Sarah to LSU, and Elizabeth to Stanford. She herself had given up her NCAA eligibility the previous year, when she'd turned professional on the back of her success in Tokyo. That meant that unless they actively sought each other out, she was unlikely to see the girls again.

She shook her head slightly as she passed her duffel bag off to the driver in front of the cargo hold. Now was not the time to worry about whether she'd see her friends again. After all, they were at the Olympic Games, and now was the time to knuckle down and concentrate on the job at hand.

* * *

Some hours later, they had been cleared into the Village, registered as Olympians, and accredited to allow them access to the competition arena. Their area was set off in a quad section of the entire USA apartment block. At the entrance to their quad was Martha Karolyi's room, followed by a set of stairs. Going up the stairs to the second floor led to the coaches rooms and a room that was to be used as a therapy room. On the third and last level were three more rooms and an open living space. JJ and Aly had been put in one room, McKayla and Kyla in another, and Gabby had happily taken the last room for herself.

After having a rest and something to eat, the team was now in the Olympic training gym getting their first London workout under their belts. Seeing as floor was the only event not taken by another training group, they had elected to start there with conditioning and strength training, before running through their routines and continuing on in the Olympic order of vault, bars, and beam.

Conditioning and strength had taken an hour, and finally Martha had felt they were ready for routines. Kyla, Gabby, and McKayla had already gone, and Aly was in the throes of her single run through. None of them were even close to perfect – tiredness and a little jet lag was showing in all their moves, but they had put forward enough to satisfy Martha that they were on track for a good competition.

"Just focus on staying tight and setting all your skills," Nick said softly as JJ moved to the edge of the floor when Aly was done. She nodded, swinging her arms to loosen them before assuming her starting position at the edge of the floor. On the other side, she watched as Mihai pressed play on the stereo, bursting her music into life. She loved this music. It was a famous Irish folk song called ' _Reel Around the Sun'_ from Bill Whelan's famous show, _Riverdance_. It had also been used by Andreea Raducan of Romania in the Sydney Olympics; Andreea was something of an inspiration to her.

She danced back into the corner, noticing how sluggish her arms felt as she set herself up for her first tumbling pass. A beat later, she took off across the floor, launching herself into her run. She rebounded hard off the floor into her double layout, but even so, her legs already felt tired, and she landed it extremely low. Any lower, and it would have been a total crash.

She sucked it up, taking a deep breath as she continued through her choreography. She allowed the music to fill her up as she resettled herself in the corner, before taking off again. This time, it felt a little easier, her double Arabian seeming to soar through the air before her feet hit the ground with only a little stumble.

'Better,' she mused to herself as she broke into her main section of dance, many of her moves similar to those that had been performed by Andreea in 2000. She loved this routine, an homage to a gymnast she had adored as a child, similar and yet so different in many ways.

Her third tumble was her triple twist, which was highly under-rotated and earned another stumble. She grimaced slightly, pushing through what was left of her choreography as the music began to build to its final crescendo.

And then she was running for her final pass, hurdling and then flipping seamlessly across the floor. But her punch was weak, her legs tired, and she landed her double pike straight to her knees, keeling over onto the floor from the momentum behind the impact. Wincing slightly, she pushed herself up and assumed her final pose, trying not to let Martha see just how much the shoddy routine had rattled her.

She walked off the floor to an uncomfortable silence. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Martha pursing her lips in disdain, and thought it would be best not to look for the time being. So she trained her gaze on Nick, who looked less than impressed as she approached him.

"That wasn't fantastic," he said softly as she came to a stop before him.

' _Really Nick? You didn't like the part where I landed a skill on my knees? I thought for sure we would keep that in,'_ she thought sarcastically to herself, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes. She took a deep breath, steeling the frustration deep down inside her as she found her voice again.

"I know," she finally said. "But I can, and I will do better"

"Alright," Nick said stiffly. "Grab your bag"

Lost in her thoughts, she had barely paid any attention to the other girls as they went through vault timers. Her own timers had been ok; the height off the table felt good, her direction was alright…

But when it came down to it, it had gone haywire. The first of her three vaults was ok… the landing was iffy, but otherwise, the vault was fine. The second one had been under-rotated, which was manageable. On the third one, however, she had thrown as much power into it as she could muster, causing her to over-rotate it to the point of being an Amanar, before staggering out of it and down the entire length of the landing mat. It was certainly not how she'd wanted to finish her run on vault. The other girls had not had great vaults either, with the exception of McKayla. In fact, Aly had actually sat one down completely, meaning she and JJ were on even footing as far as performances went.

Bars brought its own brand of trouble. Historically never her best event, but one she certainly wanted to prove her worth on, JJ was muscling through a largely ok routine. She almost breathed a sigh of relief as she got to her dismount, until a wild tap sent her peeling off the bar too early. Improvising, she pulled her body shape into a tuck as opposed to a layout, managing to pull it around just fast enough to land it on her feet, albeit with an incredibly low chest.

By the time she straightened up and walked off the mat, Nick's mouth had formed an extremely thin line, and she knew he wasn't impressed at all. Ducking her head, she passed him in silence, wanting a few moments alone to gather herself together for beam.

' _You're at the Olympics. Everything is at stake. If you don't pull it together for at least your best event, Martha is going to replace you'_

She remained silent as they moved to one of the practice beams, choosing to stand off to the side as Aly and Gabby took their turns. She ran through the routine several times in her head, breathing deeply as she worked to settle her rattled nerves.

In the blink of an eye, she was up on the beam, working cleanly and calmly through the opening moments of her routine. She felt solid and secure. Finally, something was going right.

She lined up at the end of the beam, swinging back into her flight series. Her hands rebounded twice from the beam in rhythmic motion, her feet punching her high into the air as she wrapped in a tight full twist.

Seconds later, her foot brushed the top of the beam, sending her crashing down the side of it to the floor.

Tears welled up inside of her as she placed her hands flat atop the beam. With stunning willpower, she swallowed them back, pulling herself back up on top of the beam and continuing the routine. She was so numb, so robotic, that the rest of the routine was practically perfect, right to the stuck landing on the dismount.

"JJ," Nick started softly as she walked away from the beam towards her bag.

"I'm fine," she choked out, holding out a hand to stop him coming closer. "I'm fine"

Nick looked like he was going to argue, but he decided against it, nodding once as he stepped back to give her some space.

Taking a mouthful from her water bottle, JJ stayed at the bank of chairs, facing the wall as she tried to keep her composure.

Surely that was it. Surely Martha would have Jordyn in to replace her by tomorrow.

She was pulled from her thoughts a few moments later by a loud thump, followed by a groan of pain. She whirled around, surprised to see McKayla sitting on the landing mat holding her foot.

The foot that had had a fractured toe since May.

Anxiety seemed to course through her as she watched McKayla limp off the mat with the help of her coach.

Would Martha have to replace two of her chosen gymnasts?

* * *

She and Aly had barely entered their room in the Village that evening when JJ felt the tears rising up uncontrollably inside her. Not wanting Aly to see her break down, she quickly excused herself to the bathroom, shutting the door and collapsing against the wall as the tears began to flood down her cheeks.

Surely she wasn't going to be kept on the team after that. There was no way Martha would believe she was capable of keeping it together. All she had managed to show today was that the pressure was getting to her by falling every which way possible. Add to that the revelation that McKayla had further injured her fractured toe and would be reduced to vaulting only meant that JJ's poor showing on floor was so much worse.

"JJ?" came Aly's soft voice at the door.

"Go away," JJ sobbed, burying her face in her arms as her body shook with tears.

"I'm not gonna do that," Aly said softly. "Can I come in?"

JJ stayed silent, working to fight back her tears as the latch on the door clicked and Aly slipped into the room. She sat herself down opposite JJ, stretching her legs out alongside her teammate.

"What's going on?"

JJ didn't reply, instead choosing to avoid Aly's concerned gaze.

"JJ…"

"I don't think I can do this," JJ admitted, her voice barely above a whisper as more tears spilled over. "I'm the worst one on the team, Aly, I'm a total disaster"

"No you're not," Aly said quickly. "JJ, you had one dodgy training session. It's not the end of the world. Better to get the falls out of your system now than out on the competition floor. Besides... you're tired, we all are. None of us had a great day and Martha recognises that... I mean, McKayla broke her freaking toe!"

"What if I go out there and screw everything up?" JJ asked timidly, her voice full of fear and worry as she overlooked Aly's last sentence.

"You won't," Aly said reassuringly. "You're our world champion beamer. You've always hit when we need you to, it's why you're on this team"

"Marta should have picked Jordyn," JJ said softly. "You saw me out there, I even fell on beam, that's the one event I'm counted on to hit"

"Would you have been happy with that decision?" Aly asked gently. "You've worked your whole life for the Olympics, JJ, and now you're here, you're about to have the competition of a lifetime"

JJ sniffed as Aly put her arms around her and gave her a squeeze.

"Please don't tell anyone about this," JJ whispered pleadingly, allowing Aly to hold her as she tried to stem her tears.

The Olympics were an amazing opportunity... but the pressure was mounting. And JJ didn't know if she was up for the challenge.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: It's taken me a while to get back into the swing of things, but I guess I'm back!**

 **Also I spent my entire trip writing on my phone, I've gotten way too used to autocorrect doing everything for me, so if there's glaring grammar mistakes... that's why.**

* * *

 _ **Hey, I'm guessing you're in London by now, hope you had a good flight. Good luck with training, I can't wait for July 29th! AH! I can't believe my best friend is at the Olympics! – Lani**_

 _ **I hope you had a good flight, and I also hope you're raising hell in the Olympic Village on my behalf. Just kidding. Go kick ass - Will**_

JJ didn't know whether she was going to burst into tears or throw up when she walked into the training hall that morning. The ream of 'good luck, hope you arrived safely' texts had streamed in constantly overnight, but instead of building her confidence up, they had only made her bury her head further beneath the covers while Aly slept soundly on in the bed beside her.

When Martha stopped walking at the edge of the floor and allowed them to file past her, she quickly ducked her head, training her gaze on the floor. Her eyes were still puffy and sore from her meltdown the previous evening, and she was pale from lack of sleep. She'd spent the majority of the night buried beneath her covers, fretting about whether she was going to be replaced that morning. Her heart rate seemed to be running steadily above its usual rate, and no amount of breathing techniques or relaxing thoughts was bringing it back down.

"Good morning girls. We will start with our usual regimen of strength and conditioning, but before that, we must warm up. I trust you know that taking care of your bodies is very important in these coming weeks. Please warm up properly and adequately to reduce chances of injury," Martha said in a calm voice as she looked at her five girls. "Mihai, could I ask you to direct their warm up please?"

Mihai nodded, stepping up from the group of coaches as the girls spread out across the edge of the floor.

"JJ," Martha said softly as Mihai took charge. "Come with me please"

Her heart pounded even louder in her chest as she slowly walked over to join Martha. The team coordinator beckoned for Nick to join them, and silently, the three of them walked over to the door, before exiting into the small hallway outside.

JJ felt as though she was hardly breathing as Martha came to a stop in the hallway and turned to face her. Her eyes were threatening to burn with more tears, and she willed herself to just keep it together.

"JJ, I noticed when we left the Village that you are looking a little rough this morning," Martha said gently, the hardened edge suddenly gone from her voice. "Are you upset from yesterday in training?"

JJ nodded, swallowing hard as she lifted her watery red eyes up to the esteemed leader.

"I won't deny that yesterday was a rough day. I asked a lot from you girls to be doing routines after our flight. But one bad training day does not normally upset you so much... is everything ok?"

Taking a deep breath, JJ clenched her hands into fists as she tried to keep her composure long enough to speak to Martha.

"I... yesterday was... really bad, and... I feel like it was worth being replaced by one of the other girls," she said quietly, her voice catching in her throat as the tears began to well in her eyes again. She crumpled, dropping her face down to her hands as she tried to pull herself back together. God knows if she didn't, Martha would definitely have reason to believe she was packing it in under pressure.

She looked up again when a pair of hands came to rest on her shoulders, finding herself eye to eye with Martha, who looked at worst, concerned.

"I don't want you to doubt yourself, JJ. There is a good reason I put you on the team. You have beautiful gymnastics and I know you hit when I need it," Marta said softly. "I am not going to replace you. Yesterday, we were all tired, and I know when you are tired it is hard to perform at your best. I do not want you to be worrying yourself with whether you will be on the team... you earned your place over others, and I intend to keep you on the team unless you are injured to the point of physically being unable to do so. Which I do not expect to happen"

She chuckled slightly before speaking again. "The Olympics are little bit scary, I know. But they also to be most incredible moments of your life"

JJ nodded, managing the smallest of smiles as she reached up to wipe away a tear. Nick brought a hand to her back, providing a small gesture of comfort and support.

"So many people seem to think Jordyn should be here instead of me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I am aware," Martha replied gently. "But I want you to forget about that... because I have always wanted you on this team. I fought for you to be chosen over Jordyn after Trials, after I saw how you both performed"

JJ looked up in surprise. "Really?"

Martha nodded. "Oh yes"

" _So Gabby, Aly and Kyla are definites. McKayla?" Steve said._

" _McKayla's only true potential is on vault. She might be able to do floor in the team final, but beyond that, she can't contribute anywhere else," Martha rebutted._

" _That's true, but she also adds an almost guaranteed gold medal on vault," Terin countered. "And her floor_ _is_ _quite useable in the final"_

 _Martha let out a sigh. "Ok… so we have two all-arounders, one who can't do bars in the team final, a bars and beam specialist, and a vault specialist. We need a third all-arounder… preferably one who can boost our numbers on bars and beam because that is where our scores will suffer if McKayla is on the team"_

" _So it's down to Jordyn or JJ," Steve said quietly. "Jordyn is the stronger all-arounder of the two I think… she is the reigning all-around world champion"_

" _Yes, but JJ finished ahead of her in the standings. And she's much stronger on bars and beam… we can use her on both events in the team final, whereas if we take Jordyn, we could lose up to a point in potential," Martha said firmly._

" _Jordyn can make it up on vault and floor," Steve countered._

" _Vault doesn't matter either way, I wouldn't use JJ on vault in the final, so either way it goes, we have three Amanars in the lineup. But floor… Steve, she outscored Jordyn on floor as well. Her execution is just better. She's cleaner, tidier. What she lacks in difficulty, she makes up for in execution. And it's not like she's weak in difficulty either!"_

" _What about the all-around? Jordyn could get us a second spot there," Terin added._

" _Either team would qualify two all-arounders into the final between Gabby, Aly, or Jordyn… JJ could sneak in as well, she did outscore Aly at Nationals," Martha said, her voice much quieter. "Provided there's no disasters, we should have two in the all-around final regardless. You're forgetting that JJ also adds potential for three event medals as well. Jordyn could possibly medal on beam or floor, but I think JJ and Aly would beat her into the finals"_

" _Jordyn shows the most potential for an all-around medal, even a win. And she can contribute everywhere in the team final if we need her to"_

" _So can JJ," Martha reminded them._

 _Steve and Terin glanced at each other, Steve letting out a long sigh._

" _You really want to do this Martha? Leave the reigning world champion at home?"_

 _Martha glanced down at her papers, before looking up at Steve and Terin, slowly nodding._

" _If she was as strong as she was in September, she would be on the team… she is still a strong gymnast who would absolutely be the sixth member if I could take six. But honestly… she's shown me that others can outscore her and show more consistency. It breaks my heart to leave her behind… but JJ needs to be on this team"_

 _Steve nodded once, picking up his papers._

" _So that's our team?" Steve Penny asked from the corner of the room. "Gabby, Aly, Kyla, McKayla, and JJ?"_

 _Martha nodded._

" _That's the team"_

As the reality of Martha's confidence in her washed over her, JJ found herself automatically beginning to relax.

"I am going to keep you off of full routines this morning. I want you to train skills, work on strength and conditioning, but most importantly, keep your head in check. This afternoon, we will revisit routines, ok?"

"Ok," JJ said softly. Martha gave her a smile, patting her cheek before turning and heading back into the hall.

JJ let out a long breath as Nick moved to stand in front of her. He looked much calmer than she had seen him the previous day, and she even managed to shoot him a weak smile.

"I always tell you that you're your own worst enemy," he said gently, a hint of a smile playing in the corners of his mouth. "The day you actually believe in yourself is going to turn the world of gymnastics upside down"

JJ let out a little giggle, allowing her coach to give her a quick squeeze of support before the two of them followed in Martha's footsteps and headed back into the training hall.

* * *

When she finally collapsed into her bed at the end of the day, freshly showered and her appetite quenched, she heaved a sigh of relief.

The afternoon training had been a _drastic_ improvement on her routines the previous day. She hadn't fallen once, and aside from a short landing or two on floor, she had actually been quite up to standard.

Her phone buzzed with a text, pulling her attention over to her nightstand. She picked the device up, smiling to see a message from her mom lighting up the screen. Without even reading it, she opened up her phone, pressing the option to call her mom back before lifting the phone to her ear.

Less than five seconds later, Sandy picked up.

" _Hey sweet girl. I didn't know if you'd still be awake, since I imagine you girls are being worked to the grindstone right now"_

JJ giggled. "Something like that. It's only eight though, I'll be asleep by nine"

" _So how have your first two days been? How was your flight?"_

"The flight was fine. Heathrow was a little crazy, so I'd be prepared for that when you get here," JJ replied. She paused for a moment, wondering whether she wanted to tell her mom everything... she didn't want to worry her, make her think she was caving under the pressure... but she also wanted her mom to know that she really was ok, that her position on the team was solid.

"It's been a little crazy... I... yesterday's training was a bit of a disaster and I had a total meltdown over it last night... but Martha spoke to me this morning and I'm ok. I think I was just tired... and I was worried that performing so badly would make Martha want to replace me"

" _Oh sweetheart... as long as you're ok now. You always do this to yourself, you just need to have a little more faith in yourself"_

"Pretty much what Nick said as well," JJ affirmed. "But I'm ok"

" _Good. That's what matters"_

"We have a bit of an issue too... McKayla broke her toe yesterday. Or I say broke, she actually rebroke the toe she originally injured in May"

" _Oh my god! How did she manage that on the first day?"_

"She was doing a dismount off beam, and when she punched, her heels were way off the end of the beam, meaning she only punched off her toes. Fractured it straight down the middle"

" _Ouch"_

"Yeah. So she was supposed to be doing floor in the team final with me and Aly, but now it looks like Gabby will have to do all-around in the team final unless Kyla's floor is well received by the international judges. McKayla will still do vault, but she's in a lot of pain"

" _Good grief. I hope they have her resting"_

"She is. Larry had a look at her foot and said as long as she straps it up well, it'll stay stable for competition, but she needs to train as little as possible between now and the opening ceremony"

" _Well, you guys are off to a good start,"_ Sandy chuckled. _"But I'm glad to hear you're alright baby girl. I hope tomorrow is an even better day"_

"Thanks Mom"

" _And you'll be eighteen on Sunday! As proud as I am of you making the Olympic team, I'm a little miffed it means you're not with us on your eighteenth"_

JJ laughed. "Well, as long as I'm with you on my twenty first, right? That's the important one"

" _I suppose, but still. They better give you a cake. I've put all your presents on your bed for when you get home"_

JJ grinned. "I wouldn't hold your breath for a cake, but we'll see"

" _Yes we will. Now I'm going to let you go, because you need to be getting enough sleep, ok? But I love you so much, and I'm so proud of you. I can't wait to see you compete next Sunday"_

"Thanks Mom. I love you too"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Man my motivation is like nil lately.**

* * *

Each day had passed like the one before it. The girls got up, had breakfast, before going to morning training. Lunch and a nap usually followed, before another round of training in the afternoon. In the evenings, JJ was finding just enough time to check in with home before collapsing into her bed for the night.

They were six days out from the opening ceremony, but before they got to that, JJ's eighteenth birthday was the coming day. However, JJ was surprised when she realized she was far more excited about the upcoming Olympics than her birthday. Prior to being named to the team, when everything was still up in the air, it had been the other way around.

As JJ was laying out her things for training the next day, someone knocked on the door to hers and Aly's room. She straightened up, heading for the door and pulling it open. On the threshold, she found Larry Nassar, carrying the portable treatment table and his usual bag of medical supplies.

"Evening girls," he said with a smile. JJ managed a smile back, stepping aside to let him in and closing the door behind him. Even as she did so, a flicker of worry shot through her stomach as she remembered the standard rules all of Nick's gymnasts had to abide by with medical treatments. He was to be present for all medical examinations, unless the exam or treatment was of a sensitive nature, and in that circumstance, he would ask a female coach to take his place.

' _But it's just Larry_ ,' she reminded herself, following him back into the room as Aly rose up from her bed. Larry was a world class doctor, highly commended for his work treating all the gymnasts who had passed through the national team.

"I've got something for the birthday girl," he said warmly, reaching into his bag and producing a little box. He held it out to JJ, smiling as she tentatively took it and looked down through the plastic window on the top. Inside were five mini cupcakes, each decorated with a different icing flower.

"Thanks Larry," she said sweetly, moving to set them down on her bedside table. "I'll share them with the girls… I'm sure Marta would notice if I ate five cupcakes"

Aly giggled, watching Larry as he unfolded his treatment table.

"Alright, who's going first for a tissue massage?" he said conversationally. Aly looked over at JJ, who hesitated for a moment before she slowly shook her head.

"No, I'm ok. Nick wouldn't be very happy if I broke one of his rules," she said softly.

"You sure? It's just a massage," Larry pushed.

' _Nick is your coach, you know his rules'_

"Yeah, I'm ok. I really need to shower anyway, I smell like a sumo wrestler's armpit"

Aly laughed, slowly moving towards Larry's table. "You can stay and keep me company then"

"You're a big girl Aly," JJ teased, picking up her towel as Aly lay down on the table on her stomach. "I need to shower before McKayla decides it's time for a pampering session"

"Wait, what was that thing Mac said earlier when Marta told us to do fifty pushups?" Aly said quickly as Larry began gently kneading the back of her calf.

"I don't know, I wasn't really listening," JJ chuckled. "Seriously, Aly, I stink, I'm gonna go shower. I'll be back in like fifteen minutes"

As she turned towards the door, her towel, PJs and toiletries in hand, she failed to notice the shadow of worry that crossed Aly's face behind her retreating back.

* * *

"We're going to be so tired tomorrow, Martha will definitely know we stayed up late," Kyla said nervously as McKayla flung herself into the beanbag in the corner of Aly and JJ's room.

"Who cares? We have… three minutes until it's JJ's birthday and I'll be damned if I'm not helping her celebrate it!" McKayla replied, making JJ laugh as she took a seat on her own bed. "I can't believe you get to turn eighteen, at the Olympics, in a country where you can actually drink alcohol once you're eighteen"

"Oh yeah!" Aly exclaimed. "I totally forgot about that, drinking is legal at eighteen in England!"

"Somehow, I don't think Martha is going to let me celebrate by going clubbing," JJ said dryly, making the girls laugh again.

"Alright, alright, let's make this a little more interesting," McKayla chimed in as JJ opened the cupcake box and began passing them around. "JJ has to answer first because she's the birthday girl"

JJ looked warily at McKayla as the others began to giggle.

"If you had to sleep with any athlete here in London, who would it be?" McKayla asked mischievously.

"Max Whitlock," JJ blurted out before she could stop herself. Her cheeks immediately flamed red as the girls fell about laughing.

"Wow, you had that one locked and loaded!" Gabby exclaimed through her giggles.

"Shut up," JJ muttered, which only did the exact opposite in making them laugh harder.

"Is it because he has the same colour hair and dreamy bod as –"

"Aly, if you finish that sentence, I'm going to have to kill you," JJ said warningly.

"Oooh-"

"Can we change the subject now?" JJ asked loudly. The giggling continued, but to her relief, the teasing ceased.

"Hey look! It's midnight!" McKayla said excitedly. Seconds later, she had flung herself from the beanbag, throwing her arms around JJ and knocking her backwards onto the bed with a squeal. Before she could fully register what was happening, three more bodies had landed on top of them, and JJ was laughing hysterically beneath the pile.

"Happy birthday!" they all chorused amidst laughter.

"We are so gonna get caught," Kyla giggled. "You guys are so loud"

"Who cares? JJ's eighteen, and we're at the Olympics! There's never been a better time to celebrate!"

"I love you guys," JJ said through a little laugh as they began to pull away to give her some room to breathe. Aly beamed, throwing her arms dramatically around her friend.

"We love you too"

* * *

Training had been no different to usual. Other than a quick acknowledgement from Martha in the morning, the routine had not altered in the slightest. By the time the girls had made it to the cafeteria for dinner, they were feeling kind of tired, and JJ was longing for her bed in the USA complex.

They had all finished eating relatively quickly, their tired eyes not playing their usual game of spotting famous Olympians, and JJ had nearly failed to notice when Nick left the table suddenly without explanation. They cleared their plates away and resumed their seats, waiting for their coaches to leave the cafeteria and head upstairs, signaling it was time for bed.

"Now, I believe it might be someone's birthday?" came Nick's voice behind JJ and Aly. JJ looked up at Kyla and McKayla's faces; both girls were beaming. She whipped around, finding Nick standing behind her with a little cake, proudly bearing 18 candles. She couldn't help but smile even as the color crept up her cheeks. Nick reached over her, setting the cake down in front of her before resuming his seat.

"Happy birthday to you!" the table began to sang, and even as her cheeks burned a furious red, JJ was touched. "Happy birthday to you!"

By now, they had attracted the attention of many other tables, and the voices of other Olympians soon joined the chorus of her teammates and coaches.

"Happy birthday dear JJ! Happy birthday to you!"

Leaning forward, she blew out the candles with a grin, earning herself a round of applause from the cafeteria.

"That was embarrassing," she giggled as she turned towards Nick.

"Oh well," he shrugged, grinning as he pulled the cake towards himself and set about cutting it up.

"Happy birthday JJ"

JJ turned around, having to remind herself not to let her jaw drop open when she found Usain Bolt standing behind her chair.

"Thank you," she said airily, unable to fight off a huge smile.

"I've seen what you girls can do, I'm not surprised you were picked for the Olympic team. The Olympics can be a little intense… if there's anything I can do to help you, you let me know," he said warmly.

"You could pick me up and run me to my bed," McKayla said suddenly. Aly let out a squeak as Kyla and Gabby both buried their laughter into their team jackets. Usain stared at her for a moment, bemused even though McKayla was getting a death stare from Martha at the other end of the table.

"Oh my god… that's totally not what I meant," McKayla said quickly, making Usain chuckle.

"I know. I'll see you around," he laughed, waving it off and heading back to his table. As he left, JJ could've sworn she heard him mutter 'run me to my bed' under his breath and laugh again. She turned back to McKayla with a grin; McKayla's face was bright red.

"I'm never leaving the apartment again," McKayla said morosely.

The girls all stared at each other for a moment before they started to laugh. In this kind of pressure packed environment, sometimes laughing was all they could do.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: My 2012 fascination with the Olympics has returned, so I am going to aim to convey the wonderful feelings and vibes the London 2012 Games give me every time I watch them. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Michael!"

The familiar Scottish voice carried over the hustle and bustle of Heathrow's arrivals. Michael immediately turned, spotting his mother waving at them above a crowd of heads. He beamed, changing track and leading his family through the masses to get to them. As they got closer, he realised his brother, Donnie, was also with them.

"Hi love," Anne said endearingly as she wrapped her eldest son in a hug. "It's been too long!"

"Hi Mom," Michael said through a happy smile. Hugs were shared all around as they all greeted each other warmly. It had been quite a while since he had last seen his parents. Both British citizens, his mother of Scotland, and his father, Harold "Harry", of England, they had moved back to the United Kingdom after Michael's youngest sibling, Miranda, had moved out after college. The last time they had come to the States had been for Jason's college graduation, and it had been even longer than that since Michael had been to Britain to visit them.

"So what gives Mikey, your kid's gotta go to the Olympics for you to visit?" Donnie teased, clapping his brother on the shoulder. Michael rolled his eyes, laughing.

"When it takes that long for us to clear immigration, you wonder why we don't visit more often"

"Bad flight?" Harry asked.

"A storm rolled through Pittsburgh right as we were boarding, and then there was lightning, so the airport workers had to stay undercover and there was no-one to push our plane from the gate. So we left Pittsburgh half an hour late, just made our connection in Newark, and then landed half an hour late here. Add to that the hundreds of people trying to clear immigration and customs, and arrivals is an absolute nightmare. I wonder if JJ had the same problem"

"How is JJ?" Anne asked suddenly, turning to Sandy.

"She's good, a little nervous but mostly excited," Sandy said, beaming as she spoke. "Which makes two of us"

"She's going to be fantastic," Anne said endearingly as they started to walk to the front of the terminal. "So I got us all tickets for the opening ceremony, it's apparently going to be phenomenal, the BBC haven't shut up about it for the last three weeks"

Sandy laughed. "Well it better be phenomenal for the price!"

"Absolute rip-off if you ask me, it's daylight robbery," Harry grumbled from behind them.

"It's the Olympics Harold. How often are you going to see the Olympics in your home country? Probably never!"

"We had the Games in 1948 Anne"

"Oh I know, but the Games were nothing like they are now back then," Anne said wistfully. "Now we've rented two cars for the duration of the Games, mostly just for getting in and out of the city, and it's come in handy for today, what with all your bags! But we'll probably have to take the Tube to get to and from the venues, I bet driving will be a nightmare"

"When's Miranda getting in?" Michael asked. "I know she was in Paris with the kids for the summer"

"Yes, they're coming on the train, Harry will pick them up after dinner tonight. Oh, I'm so excited that we're all back together," Anne said happily, squeezing her son in a tight hug as they reached the car. Michael grinned, happily returning his mom's hug, for he too, felt exactly the same way.

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

The question was light, an air of excitement hidden beneath her coach's voice. JJ smiled, lifting her bag higher on her back.

"Excited," she said softly, a little giggle escaping. "I can't believe it's really happening"

Nick chuckled. "Just wait for Sunday then"

They stopped walking as the group came to a stop just short of the entrance into the arena. They had been led through the underbelly of the North Greenwich Arena by volunteers, tracing the same steps they would take for the days of competition. There was an air of excited nerves amongst them all; they couldn't wait to get out and get a feel for the arena and the official competition apparatus. They couldn't wait to lay their eyes on the arena in which they hoped all their dreams would come true.

It wasn't too long before they were walking again, following the volunteers who were leading them to their designated rotation. Dressed in a brilliant pink that reminded her of Nastia Liukin's winning leotard from four years ago, JJ felt a little shiver of excitement run down her spine. She subconsciously adjusted her grips, which were already on her hands and ready to go.

And then they walked around a dividing wall, out beneath a low arch, and into the arena. JJ almost had to fight back a gasp as she took in the brilliant hot pink of the walls and podiums, the bright white floor that seemed to shine all the way up to the ceiling, and the London 2012 logos splashed across every surface. They had seen it in pictures that someone had posted on Twitter, but actually seeing it with their own eyes was something JJ couldn't even begin to describe.

"Oh my god Jayje," Aly squealed excitedly under her breath, reaching over and squeezing JJ's hand. JJ beamed.

They walked down the entire length of the vault podium, taking in everything as they walked, before coming to a rest at the uneven bars. They immediately put their bags down on the chairs along the wall, and quickly but quietly walked up onto the podium, turning to face Martha and standing in their height order as they were so used to doing.

"Alright. Remember this might be podium training, but we are treating it like any other competition. Full run exactly as it will go on Sunday. I will remind you of our lineups for qualifications, as that is the same format we are going to use today," Martha said quietly and calmly, her voice commanding the girls' attention. She unfolded a piece of paper, full of lists and diagrams that she had obviously spent her free time poring over.

"On every event except for the vault, the girl who is going first is the girl who will not compete the event in the team final, unless we see a reason to change that after the qualifications. Here on bars, we are starting with Aly, then JJ, Kyla and Gabby will follow. On beam, we are starting with Gabby, followed by Aly, Kyla, and then JJ. On floor, Kyla will lead, then Gabby, JJ and Aly will follow. On vault, McKayla has to go first as she is attempting to qualify for the vault final. Seeing as she will be our vault anchor on Tuesday night, we will simply go in reverse order to the qualification leadoff, so I'll have Gabby go up after her, followed by Aly, and JJ to close off"

Martha closed the piece of paper and looked up at her girls.

"Coaches in earlier podium training have reported that some of the girls are finding the equipment little bit bouncier than usual. Use this time now to get a feel for the equipment and learn how to adjust for Sunday. Now, let's prepare for bars and get underway"

Nodding silently, the girls turned and approached the apparatus. McKayla was not competing bars at all. In fact, the only event she would compete in the entire Olympics would be vault, but here in podium training, she was helping prepare the bars for the other girls.

JJ stood back by the chalk bowl, watching as the bars were chalked up. She absently rubbed chalk into the hand straps of her grips, narrowing her focus down onto the bars. She was a little nervous. But she had spent most of their last week in training trying to batter away the self doubt. She knew, once she got past the nerves, that the adrenaline would carry her through.

She didn't want to look back on an Olympics full of shaky, nervy mistakes. She wanted to be her very best.

With her grips all chalked and Aly having finished her warmup, JJ quickly walked over to the apparatus. She simply wanted to climb up, have a few practice swings, practice her transition, and time her dismount.

With a nod from Nick to say she was ready to go, she wasted no time in walking up and grasping the low bar. Pulling herself up on top of it, she fell forwards, catching the high bar and immediately generating swing from it. The bars had a generous give to them, which meant she had to tap hard to drive herself upwards, but after two swings, she had easily adjusted her rhythm.

A quick turn atop the bar allowed her to turn herself back towards the low bar. She swung down, flying between the high and low bar in her Pak salto, catching it easily and letting herself drop to the mat. She quickly jumped back up, catching the high bar and swinging herself into a giant. Two more giants, and she released into a simple layout flyaway, finding her feet easily. Smiling to herself, she turned and walked off the mat towards the chalk bucket, swinging her arms to loosen her shoulders as she went.

Their mock warmup time passed quickly, and soon they were in competition mode. Aly took to the bars first, delivering her stock standard consistent routine. The only differences between podium training and their qualification round that would come on Sunday was that there was no limit to who could work each event – if McKayla had been healthy, Martha surely would have had all five of them up on every event – and that the girls were not required to vacate the podium while each of them worked.

They continued working through their routines, piece by piece. JJ found herself falling into a rhythm after bars. The equipment felt comfortable, she was feeling strong, and the vibe in the arena, even without the crowd that would come on Sunday, was electric.

Beam felt strong, and JJ couldn't help but feel proud of the routine she had displayed. She knew that coming in as the reigning world champion on the event meant she was a frontrunner for the final with a lot of expectations on her from all angles, but she didn't want to feed into it. She just wanted to go out and do her absolute best.

Floor had been the only place where they had had even the slightest issues. The floor in the arena was quite a bit bouncier than they were used to, and JJ had found herself rebounding out of almost all of her passes. At the conclusion of their routines, Martha allowed them some extra time to work their passes on the floor, and after a few rounds of trial and error, JJ finally found the right way to adjust her landings to compensate for the springy floor.

Their last stop in podium training was vault, where they took it in turns to run timers, easy vaults, and then lastly, the vaults they would perform in competition. Kyla, even though she likely would not compete vault at all in the Games, warmed up and trained a fabulous double twisting Yurchenko that, for a split second, made JJ re-evaluate her own vault.

Tired, but buzzing with adrenaline and excitement, they left the arena a little under an hour later, heading back to their complex for a much earned shower and good night's sleep.

Just one more sleep, and the Olympics would truly arrive.

* * *

After dinner and showers, the girls had some downtime before they had to go to bed. Too revved up from the excitement of the impending Games, Aly and McKayla had steadily wound the others up into a giggling, happy mess in the common room, providing JJ the perfect opportunity to slip into the privacy of their room and check in with her friends and family.

 _ **Made it to London. Won't even go into the airport situation, what a nightmare. Hope podium training went well! What does the arena look like? Love you heaps – Mom**_

JJ smiled, quickly tapping out a reply.

 _ **Should've seen baggage claim when we arrived. The entire Japanese delegation arrived at the same time and they all had the exact same baggage. No-one knew which one belonged to them. Was kinda funny to watch. Podium training was good, the floor's a little bouncy, so I'm just hoping you don't have to witness me bouncing myself into the rafters haha. The arena is hot pink. Mac is very excited about it. Love you too – JJ**_

Just over a minute later, another message from her mom zoomed in.

 _ **Good grief, might need to take my sunglasses. Haha. And yes, I'm glad we didn't witness anything like that, although I'm sure it was very funny. If you do bounce yourself into the rafters, just do your uneven bars dismount and act like it was supposed to happen – Mom**_

Giggling, JJ shook her head.

 _ **I'm about to call Will and let him know I'm still alive, since he's messaged me every day since I got here and I haven't answered, oops. I'll call you tomorrow after training. Give Grams and Pa a hug from me – JJ**_

 _ **Will do. Love you – Mom**_

Switching out of the message app, JJ quickly opened up the keypad, dialling Will's number off by heart. After barely two rings, he had picked up.

" _She lives!"_

JJ laughed. "Hello to you too"

" _Decided I'm worth your time now, hey?"_

"Hey, I have been _very_ busy thank you very much," she giggled. "I'd like to see you train for an Olympics"

" _Couldn't do it. I enjoy pizza wayyyy too much"_

Laughing, JJ shook her head. "So what have you been doing in my absence, seeing as annoying me seems to be your favourite pastime?"

" _Annoying my mom. No joke, she told me to take a hike last night and I think she meant it literally"_

JJ laughed.

" _But that aside, we've all been planning watch parties. I got the draw of having everyone over for the opening ceremony tomorrow afternoon, so Lani and Clay and the rest of the gang are coming over after lunch. As it so happens, Sam and Lisa are in Pittsburgh for the week, so they'll be here to watch as well. They told me to tell you good luck"_

"Tell them I said thanks," JJ said warmly.

" _And, yeah... Tessa is hosting for qualifications. She said the session looks ridiculously long, like it starts broadcasting live at frickin four thirty in the morning. I told her there was no way in hell I'm dragging my ass across town to her house at four thirty"_

JJ laughed again. "Qualifications are done in one big session, broken into five subdivisions. We're in subdivision three, which is at 2:45 in the afternoon in London, so I think that's... 9:45 in Pittsburgh"

" _Whew. Ok. That's better. I can do 9:45. And then Lani said she's hosting for team finals because she has the biggest stockpile of tissues ready to go. I think all our parents are going to go and watch as well, if they're not working"_

JJ felt a fuzzy warmth spreading through her chest. She had so many people watching her, supporting her, going out of their way to see her compete at the Olympics... it was pretty incredible to say the least.

"Olympics aside, have you done anything else other than annoy your mom since I left?" she teased lightly.

" _I went on a date with Isabelle last night,"_ Will said conversationally. JJ fell silent, trying to ignore the sudden emotion that was stirring in her chest.

"Yeah? How'd that go?" she asked quietly, trying to keep her voice devoid of emotion.

" _Well,"_ Will said, letting out a little chuckle. _"It was kinda terrible honestly. I mean, the first part was fine, we went for dinner and had a good time, but then…"_

JJ fought back a grin, ignoring the little swell of hope that had grown in her chest at his mention of the date being terrible. "What? She grew horns and wings and flapped off into the distance?"

" _I know you don't like her, but come on,"_ Will laughed. _"No, we… uh… things got a little hot and heavy in the car, and she was kinda going for it down there, and… she bit me"_

JJ couldn't help but burst into hysterical laughter.

" _Jayje, it's not funny, I'm hoping it heals without me having to tell my parents"_

"Oh my god," JJ choked out, dragging a chuckle out of Will. "You really get yourself into some situations, LaMontagne"

" _Sure, laugh it up Jareau. You have no idea how embarrassing it was for both of us"_

JJ froze.

She really _didn't_ have any idea what it was like. In fact, as far as boys were concerned, she didn't really have any idea what _anything_ was like. Sure, she'd had a fumbled first kiss with Chris Peterson, but considering that had happened during a game of hormone fuelled Seven Minutes in Heaven, she didn't really count it as much.

Who was she to even think she had a chance with Will? What was Will going to want from a girl who'd hardly even kissed anyone, when he himself had gone way further than she'd ever imagined?

" _Jayje? You still there?"_

"I… yeah," she said quietly. Suddenly a flash entered her mind, her and Will tangled together in the darkened space of his room, her kneeling between his legs, her hands wrapping around him as she lowered her lips to-

"I have to go," she blurted out suddenly. "Martha wants us in bed in half an hour"

" _Oh… ok,"_ Will replied. _"Well… if I don't speak to you before Sunday, good luck and have fun. You're gonna kill it out there"_

"Thanks," she said softly. "I'll talk to you later"

And with a quick goodbye, she hung up the phone, staring at it as she tried to gather her thoughts.

She was sure she'd never felt so vulnerable before. Not even when she'd made all those mistakes in those first days of training in London. For the first time ever, speaking to her best friend had only served to make her feel sad.

Before she fully registered what she was doing, her fingers were moving across the screen, tapping out another familiar number.

It didn't take long for Katie to pick up the phone, and when she did, JJ had never been happier to hear her sister-in-law's voice.

" _Hey JJ. How's it going?"_

"Ok," JJ said softly, and she knew immediately that she hadn't been at all convincing.

" _What's going on? You sound a little down,"_ Katie said gently _._

JJ swallowed hard, looking down at her lap as Katie waited patiently on the other end.

"Everyone's growing up without me," she said sadly, curling further into herself as the girls' giggles floated in from the next room.

" _What happened_?" Katie asked. JJ heard the sound of a door opening and closing in the background. _"I'm alone if you want to talk it out, no-one else is going to overhear"_

JJ took an inward breath... and then before she could stop it, it all came tumbling out.

"I was just talking to Will, and he was telling me about this date he went on, and it made me realise how socially behind I am compared to everyone I'm friends with. Everyone I went to school with has had at least one relationship, and here I am, having never actually properly kissed anyone or anything, and I just... I hate it. I'm like a kid. And it sucks, because Will's never going to want to date someone who literally has no idea about any of this stuff"

A short silence fell, before Katie spoke up softly from the other end of the line.

" _Do you like Will?"_

JJ's heart leapt into her throat. "I... I didn't mean it like that-"

" _You know it's completely ok if you do? It's normal, and healthy... and to be completely honest, not entirely surprising either. He's a lovely guy, JJ, it's completely normal that you'd be attracted to him"_

JJ let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"I just... I only kinda figured it out since I've been away. I just don't really want to think about it, not with everything else I've got going on... but I just can't help but feel that I'm being left behind. I mean, I think I'm the only one of my friends that hasn't had sex, I just feel like such a little kid"

" _Hey,"_ Katie said softly. _"You know there's no 'normal' timeframe for growing up? I know that it feels wrong to have not had a relationship or had sex by a certain point in your life, but it's ok. Everyone goes at their own pace. This is your normal, JJ… and don't get me wrong, sex is great, but I think going to the Olympics is way better. Don't tell Jason I said that"_

JJ laughed.

" _Trust me JJ, in twenty years, you're not going to remember that you hadn't had a relationship by eighteen, because it's not important. You're going to remember going to the Olympics, representing your country, and all the blood, sweat, tears and hard work that it took to get there. And there aren't many people in the world who will know what that feels like"_

JJ took a deep breath, settling back on her bed as a wave of comfort washed over her. A comfortable silence settled between them, JJ just appreciating that Katie was someone she was able to turn to.

" _JJ?"_

"Yeah?"

" _I... I know that sometimes it's really hard for you... having lost Roz. I know I couldn't ever replace her, but I want you to know... you can call me, any time you need, for anything at all. You know that right?"_

JJ swallowed hard, tears cresting her eyes as she thought of the big sister she so desperately wished could be with them today.

"Thank you Katie"

" _Anytime JJ. I mean it"_


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Seriously, if you haven't seen the 2012 Opening Ceremony, go and watch it on Youtube, it is BREATHTAKING. I tried my hardest to convey the emotion in this chapter!**

* * *

 _He was hard in her grip, soft groans spilling from his mouth as she wrapped her lips around him. Following her instincts, she bobbed up and down a few times, before pulling back and running her tongue along the underside of his length. He bucked suddenly, surprising her and making her flinch._

 _Laughter filled her ears and she looked up to find Will stifling a grin._

" _Do you even know what you're doing?" he laughed, standing up. JJ shook her head, trying to stifle the tears as he pulled his jeans back up._

" _You're just a child JJ. You're never going to have any idea about the real world"_

 _Scrambling to her feet, JJ left the room without a second glance at Will, hurrying down the stairs. At the bottom, she found her friends and classmates, all pointing straight at her and laughing. Overwhelmed by tears, she turned and pushed her way through them towards the front door. The closer she got to the door, the louder the laughter got, seeming to penetrate right into her brain until it was nothing more than a monotonous buzz-_

"JJ!"

JJ jerked awake, flipping over onto her back as she tried to get her bearings. Aly was standing above her, already half dressed, looking down at her friend with a confused expression.

"Your alarm has been going off for like five minutes," she said simply, pointing at JJ's phone. JJ wordlessly reached out and silenced the alarm, taking a deep breath as she lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling.

"Are you ok?" Aly asked. JJ nodded.

"Yeah, just… weird dreams," she mumbled, running a hand through her hair. Her cheeks felt extraordinarily warm, and her entire body was buzzing in a way that felt completely foreign to her.

"Ok… well Martha wants us ready to go as soon as possible. She's fitting in an extra training today so we can skip tomorrow morning – I think she's going to let us stay up and watch the Ceremony!" Aly said happily. JJ didn't acknowledge her, keeping her eyes trained on the ceiling as tried to gather her thoughts.

"Jayje, you need to get moving"

"Ok, I'm getting up," JJ sighed, throwing the blankets back and getting out of bed. It didn't take her long to find everything she needed, and before too long, she was dressed and heading out the door with the other girls, trying her hardest to push the odd dream from her mind.

* * *

Night was fast falling on the city of London, and the atmosphere was one that Sandy couldn't even begin to describe. After picking up her mom from the airport that afternoon, they had made a quick stop back at their accommodation before heading for the London Underground.

An extremely claustrophobic Tube ride with other excited Olympics goers later, they had disembarked at Stratford and reconvened at the station exit. A quick headcount by Michael (bringing them to the correct number of twelve), and they had set off down the lighted path towards the Olympic Stadium. There had unsurprisingly been people everywhere, and the closer they got to the stadium, standing tall and proud above East London, the more excited Sandy was beginning to feel. Even having to clutch onto each other as they shouldered their way through the crowds couldn't possibly dampen her spirits.

JJ had worked years for this. And finally, tonight, her Olympics would open. It didn't even feel real. For the longest time they had been like a far off dream. But they were here. They were finally here, and Sandy really couldn't believe it.

It had taken nearly an hour from having their tickets scanned at the gates to finding their seats, but finally they were settled. Sandy took a deep breath, her eyes taking in the pre arranged set in the middle of the stadium, the dazzling lights, the sky that was growing steadily darker above them.

She pulled out her phone, finding a message from Lynn Raisman, Aly's mom.

 _ **Hope you got in ok, Stratford was a nightmare! We're sitting over by the big green hill, all the Brits around us are calling it the Tor? One of them just recognized our accents and asked what brought us to London. Told him our daughter is competing for the United States, and he was ecstatic for us! Made me so excited, Sandy, hope you're feeling the same way! – Lynn**_

Sandy smiled, immediately typing out a text back.

 _ **Well we're sitting around on the left hand side of the stadium to the Tor, and yes, Stratford was chaotic! Michael actually had to pick up our niece and put her on his shoulders, she's so tiny we were afraid she was going to get lost. I'm so excited Lynn, can't wait to see the show London puts on, but it's so much more special knowing our girls are part of it! – Sandy**_

Switching out of that conversation, Sandy opened up her chat with JJ.

 _ **Made it to the stadium. Looks absolutely incredible in here. We're sitting on the left hand side relative to the big green hill. According to the Brits sitting near Aly's mom, it's called a Tor. Might have to google it. Hope you girls are able to watch the show! – Mom**_

Ten minutes away in East Village, JJ smiled as she read the text from her mom. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, typing out a reply.

 _ **Martha's letting us stay up to watch it. We can see the stadium from our window, the strobe lights have been going all day. Can hear the crowds from here too, so will probably have an eye on the TV and an ear on the window! – JJ**_

Sinking further into her beanbag, JJ watched eagerly as the pre-ceremony coverage rolled through before them. Montages of past Olympics, videos of excited crowds waiting by the countdown clock in Trafalgar Square… it was so real.

"Oh I'm so excited," Aly said in an excited whisper, reaching over to squeeze JJ's hands. "It's finally happening!"

Back over at the stadium, the energy levels within were rising. They'd been sitting there for nearly an hour, simply watching the proceedings around them. Sandy watched as ten groups of children carrying white balloons were walked around the perimeter of the set and stationed at even intervals. Loud energetic music started to play, revving up everyone inside.

Lights began to flash around the stadium, making Sandy grab Michael's hand with a beaming smile.

"Here we go!" she said in an excited whisper. On her other side, her mom began clapping along happily to the music, the sound drowned out by excited applause and the music itself.

With a bang, the first cluster of balloons broke and a lighted countdown appeared in the seats opposite them. The crowd began to chant out the countdown, sending chills of excitement running down Sandy's back.

"10!"

"9!"

"8!"

"7!"

"6!"

"Michael!" Sandy squeaked, making him grin widely as he clutched her hand.

"5!"

"4!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

A deafening roar filled the stadium, which the Jareau clan gladly joined in on.

This was it.

"Ladies and gentleman! Welcome to London, and to the Games of the 30th Olympiad!" rang out the announcer's voice to another round of cheers. "To open our ceremony, Olympic cyclist, member of team GB and Britain's first winner of the Tour de France… Bradley Wiggins!"

More cheers filled the stadium as Bradley walked out onto the elevated stage at the end of the stadium and waved to the crowd. He stood for a moment, taking it all in as he greeted his home crowd, before turning and walking back to the rope hanging from the bell. With one big tug, he pulled on the rope, ringing the Olympic bell to more ecstatic cheers. A hushed silence fell over the stadium, the crowd's eyes falling to the set below, where all the performers were frozen mid actions, waiting for their cue.

"And did those feet in ancient time," sang out the voice of a young boy. "Walk upon England's mountains green?"

A light shone on the stands, illuminating the spot in the crowd where Sandy could now see an enormous children's choir, led by one small boy that undoubtedly had an incredible voice.

"And was the holy lamb of god... on England's pleasant pastures seen?"

It was well and truly underway.

* * *

The girls had been glued to the TV through the first two segments of the ceremony. The first was a 17 minute section entitled ' _Pandemonium_ '. The music was intense, special, and energising, a drum piece performed by a 1000 person ensemble, led by a deaf performer by the name of Dame Evelyn Glennie. The piece depicted the British Industrial Revolution. Towards the end, the performers had started 'forging' at a ring shaped blacksmith forge in the center of the stage. As the camera panned away, JJ had spotted two other glowing rings slowly floating into the center of the arena. At the last moment, the ring in the forge had lifted, meeting four others in the air and forming a glowing spectacle of the Olympic Rings, to outrageous applause.

 _ **First section was incredible to watch live. Had chills when the rings appeared in the air. The section celebrating the hospital and children's literature was lovely, although I couldn't help but worry about the little girl on the bed in the air, I know she would have had a harness, but it looked like Voldemort would accidentally knock her off! It's been great so far though! – Mom**_

The messages had been rolling through all evening, keeping JJ and the girls greatly entertained.

Back in Pittsburgh, Will was crashed out in a beanbag, his eyes keenly fixed to the TV as his friends and family talked and laughed behind him. He had loved what he had seen so far, and had felt a strange ripple of emotion cross through him when the Olympic rings lifted high into the air at the conclusion of _Pandemonium_. To know his best friend was there, just days away from hopefully making her dreams come true... it made the Olympics seem so much more special than they had just four years ago.

Now, they were watching an ode to British pop culture. The music was energising, and Lani and Mackenzie had even gotten up to dance along, making the others laugh with their energetic and over exaggerated dance moves.

The dancing gave way to a still silence, permeated only by soft music. Then, a voice spoke.

" _Mesdames et messieurs, veuillez respecter notre mur commémoratif, pour les amis et la famille de ceux du stade qui ne peuvent pas être ici ce soir. Merci_ _"_

" _Ladies and gentleman, please respect our memorial wall, for friends and family of those in the stadium who cannot be here tonight. Thank you"_

As the faces floated before them on the screen in the Olympic Village, JJ found her eyes filling with tears. Thoughts of her sister, the sister she so desperately wished could be here, seemed to crowd in on her every sense, making her chest physically ache with sadness. She knew Roz would have loved the show London was putting on, but more so, she would have loved to see her little sister competing in the Olympics, as she had always insisted she would.

Silently, Aly's arms wrapped around JJ, her head coming to rest on her shoulder. JJ took a deep breath, wiping away a few of the tears that were pouring down her cheeks.

"In seven years, London did this," Aly said softly. "And in seven years, you went from wanting to quit gymnastics to making an Olympic team"

She dropped her voice as Kyla gave JJ a reassuring smile, her attention diverted from the proceedings for the time being. "She'd be so proud of you, JJ. You're doing this for her"

JJ nodded, wiping away more tears as McKayla scooted over and joined in on the hug.

"It's gonna be ok baby girl," McKayla said with a smile, reaching down and giving JJ a playful pat on the bum. The three of them laughed as JJ turned to face McKayla.

"Mac, I'm two years older than you," she laughed, her tears forgotten.

"And I'm five inches taller than you," McKayla shot back, making them all laugh. McKayla gave JJ another tight hug, before scrambling back over to her beanbag.

The ceremony proceeded, carrying them into the Parade of Nations. Texts from Sandy continued to roll through as the parade carried on, entertaining them for the sorely long length.

 _ **Some of these country names border on ridiculous. Democratic People's Republic of Korea? Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia? And they wonder why the parade takes so long. Let's just say North Korea and Macedonia and be done with it. Even if they called the Koreas by North and South, the athletes wouldn't have to be anywhere near each other! – Mom**_

 _ **Germany looking... colourful – Mom**_

 _ **The South Africans look like their outfit designer simply copied the tail art off their airline's paint job. Very vibrant – Mom**_

Finally, Great Britain entered the arena as the tail end of the parade. After a musical interlude, two of the officials took the stage on the Tor, the younger of the two stepping up to the podium after being introduced as Sebastian Coe, the head of the Olympic organising committee for the Games.

" _Your Majesty…your Majesties, Royal Highnesses, President Rogge, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. To everyone in this stadium, attending our opening ceremony, to every athlete waiting, ready prepared to take part in this Games. To everyone, in every city and village in the world, watching as we begin, welcome to London!"_

He paused as excited applause rang through the stadium.

" _Welcome… welcome to the 2012 Olympic Games. Welcome from every one of us. I have never been so proud to be British and to be part of the Olympic movement, as I am on this day, at this moment. The Olympics brings together the people of the world, in harmony and friendship, in peace to celebrate what is best about mankind. All my life, I have loved sport. You have to love sport to compete at it. There is a truth to sport. A purity, a drama, a simplicity. A spirit that makes it irresistible to take part in and irresistible to watch. London 2012 seeks to capture all of this. London 2012 will inspire a generation. In every Olympic sport, there is all that matters in life. Humans stretched to the limit of their abilities inspired by what they can achieve, driven by their talent to work harder than they can believe possible. Living for the moment, but making an indelible mark upon history. To the athletes gathered here on the eve of their endeavor, I say that to you is given something precious and irreplaceable… to run faster, to jump higher, to be stronger. To my fellow countrymen, I say thank you. Thank you for making all this possible. In the next two weeks, we will show all that has made London one of the greatest cities in the world. The only city to have welcomed the Games three times. Each time we have it done, the world faced turbulence and trouble, and each time the Games have been a triumph. Our history as a thriving commercial center, where the people of all nations have for centuries come to meet, as a city which never stands still. This history has prepared us for today. For us too, every Briton, just as the competitors, this is our time. And one day we will tell our children and our grandchildren that when our time came we did it right!"_

The crowd applauded wildly, making JJ smile wildly as she watched.

" _Let us determine, all of us, all over the world that London 2012 will see the very best of us. It now gives me great pleasure to introduce the president of the International Olympic Committee, Dr Jacques Rogge!"_

Coe stepped back, clapping as the older Belgian man took the stage. Rogge was awarded a supportive round of applause, which he waited to diminish before he spoke.

" _Your majesty, your majesties, your royal highnesses, distinguished guests, ladies and gentleman, in just a few moments the Olympic Games will return to London for the third time, setting an unmatched record for hosting the games that spans more than a century. Thank you, thank you London for welcoming the world to this diverse vibrant cosmopolitan city yet again. It has taken a lot of hard work by many people to get us to this point. I want to thank the entirety of the London organizing committee, superbly led by Coe, for their excellent and hard work. I also want to thank all the public authorities who have helped ensure that these Games will leave a lasting positive legacy long after the closing ceremony. We are all grateful to the thousands of volunteers who have been so generous with their time, their energy and their welcoming smiles. For the first time in Olympic history, all the participating teams will have had female athletes and this is immeasurable for gender equality. In a sense, the Olympic Games are coming home tonight. This great, sports loving country is widely recognized as the birthplace of modern sport. It was here that the concept of sportsmanship and fair play were first quantified into clear rules and regulations. It was here that sport was included as an educational tool in the school curriculum. The British approach to sport had a profound influence on Pierre de Coubertin our founder as he developed the framework for the modern Olympic movement at the close of the 19_ _th_ _century. The values that inspired de Coubertin will come to life over the next seventeen days as the world's best athletes compete in the spirit of friendship respect and fair play. I congratulate all of the athletes who have earned a place at these Games. And to the athletes I offer this thought. Your talent, your dedication and commitment brought you here, now you have a chance to become true Olympians. That honour is determined not by whether you win but by how you compete. Character goes further than medals. Reject doping. Respect your opponents. Remember that you're all role models. If you do that you will inspire a generation. Dear athletes, make us dream! I now have the honour to ask her majesty the queen to open the games of the 30_ _th_ _Olympiad"_

The camera changed to the Queen, standing above the masses in a pastel pink dress.

" _I declare open the Games of London, celebrating the 30_ _th_ _Olympiad of the modern era,"_ she spoke, earning ecstatic applause and sending chills down JJ's spine. Fireworks began to echo around them, and as they all turned to look out the window, they could see the fireworks being launched from the top of the stadium.

They sat eagerly, watching as the Olympic flame drew nearer to the stadium. While they waited for it to arrive in the hands of Steven Redgrave, three members of the Games took to a smaller stage to read the Olympic oaths, promising to reject doping, judge fairly, and coach wholeheartedly.

And then, to hushed amazement, the flame entered the arena. It was handed to seven young British athletes dressed in black and gold, who took it for a lap around the stadium. At the conclusion of their run, they were each handed a torch to match the one already carrying the flame. Before too much longer, they were jogging around, down the path to the center of the stadium. Before, there had been a black cloth on the ground bearing the Olympic rings, but now, the girls could see the faintest silhouette of a structure.

"Wait, isn't that those things the kids were carrying with each team during the parade?" McKayla said suddenly. She moved a little closer, peering at the TV. "It is, it's the metal things! One for each country!"

JJ's phone buzzed, making her look down.

 _ **You could hear a pin drop in here. I can't see the cauldron properly from up here, can you girls see it on the TV? – Mom**_

 _ **Yeah, McKayla said it looks like it's made of the metal things that were carried out with each team, which means there's one for each country represented – JJ**_

She looked up, watching as the athletes lowered the torches to the cauldron. The flames caught on, lighting seven of the struts. Then, one by one, each petal, as the commentators were referring to it, caught light, rippling around and up the cauldron in a spiral. An audible gasp went around the stadium, which was matched by the five girls watching with trepidation.

And then the petals began to lift, closing together slowly to form one united flame. JJ felt a tug of emotion in her chest as the meaning behind the cauldron became astoundingly clear.

They could hear it from their room when the stadium broke into sensational cheers, the cauldron clearly an incredible thing to witness.

 _ **The lady in front of us is crying at how beautiful the cauldron is, I'm not far off tears myself, Jayje, it's AMAZING - Mom**_

A few minutes later, Paul McCartney had closed out the ceremony with a rousing rendition of _'Hey Jude'_ , and the girls were left gaping at the sensational show, and all the more eager to get started. The camera panned out, fixating on the view of the athletes basking in the glow of the magnificent cauldron.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. We hope you enjoy the London 2012 Olympic Games!"_


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I'm BAAAACK! Thanks to Jordon for motivating my ass to write HAHA!**

* * *

Time had flown since the opening ceremony. Already, it was Sunday, July 29th - the day she had had marked in her calendar for over a year as the first day of women's artistic competition at the London Olympic Games.

Today was the day that counted the most. If they made mistakes here and missed qualifying into finals, that was the end of their Olympic dreams. There were no second chances if they didn't hit in qualifications.

And yet, even with that knowledge, JJ found herself feeling surprisingly calm. Here she stood, her team around her, their competition numbers pinned to their backs for the first time throughout the Games. JJ's number was 412... funnily enough, she had noted that morning that it was the same as Will's birthday, April 12th. All five of them were dressed in a deep purple leotard, so deep it looked almost blue. Cut into the front of the outfits were a number of nude backed sheer panels that connected in the center to form a star. It was a nice leotard, but it wasn't JJ's favourite. She couldn't wait to wear the one she had fallen in love with the day they got it.

She could hear the murmur of the crowd out in the arena. They sounded so much more distant than they actually were, and it sounded like they were excited to see more wonderful gymnastics.

A hand came down on her shoulder, making her jump. She whipped around, finding Nick standing behind her with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry kiddo, didn't mean to scare you," he said gently.

"It's ok," she replied. "I was just lost in my thoughts I guess"

Nick gave her a smile. "I spoke to Tash this morning. She told me to tell you she's rooting for you and that if you feel yourself getting too intense, to remember the day I left a chalk handprint on her butt"

JJ laughed, immediately remembering the scandalised yet amused expression Tash had bore that day that really wasn't so long ago.

"Gymnasts, please prepare to enter the arena," came the voice of the event manager. The girls all straightened up, smiles spreading across their faces. JJ's butterflies intensified.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the third subdivision of women's qualifying! Please, put your hands together for the gymnasts as they enter the arena!" rang out a comforting male voice from the arena sound system. And then, almost immediately, upbeat music began to play and they were walking, beside Great Britain and behind Canada.

They stepped out into brilliant lighting, Aly leading the way behind the volunteer carrying their country card. The crowd was enormous, more than JJ could have imagined, clapping along to the music as they cheered.

"Making their way to vault... the United States of America!"

A thrill shot through JJ's chest as the five girls lifted their arms and waved to the crowd as they walked.

"Making their way to bars... Canada!"

The girls came to a halt at the end of the podium, near the stairs that would take them up to the end of the vault runway. There was no introduction presentation to the judges for qualifying. It was simply diving straight in.

"Making their way to beam... Great Britain!"

The roar that filled the arena was absolutely thunderous. JJ couldn't help but smile as she watched the five British girls wave to their adoring home crowd. What a special moment this had to be for them, getting to compete at the Olympic Games in front of a home crowd, in their own country.

"Making their way to floor... France!"

Almost as soon as the announcement was over, they were heading up the stairs. Standing in a line before the judges, they quickly and unanimously saluted once, before turning and heading to the end of the vault runway, with Kyla making her way back down to the floor. The girls were quick, methodical even, about getting into their warmup, and moments later, Gabby was powering down for the first timer.

JJ was going first when the competition started. She was going to be the very first thing the world saw of the USA's Olympic gymnastics effort.

She had been in that position before. In 2010, at her first world championships in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, it hadn't exactly gone as well as she would have hoped. Performing her Yurchenko double twist, in the hopes of it being a strong start to their qualification, she had dislocated her shoulder when she hit the table.

But today, she wasn't going to let that happen. No, today, she was going to start strong.

"Gymnasts, the warmup is over. Prepare for competition!"

It felt like seconds later that she was standing alone at the end of the runway, her eyes trained on the screen at the opposite end that would flash her green light. The floor rotation was already underway; one of the French girls' floor music was filling the arena. She took a deep breath, holding her hands down at her side.

Her green light came. On the board, her name lit up beneath a big white GO. **  
412  
JAREAU  
JENNIFER  
USA**

"On vault, representing the United States of America, Jennifer Jareau!"  
 **  
**A thrill ran through her. Stepping onto the runway, she saluted the judges with a small smile, before placing her toes on the little chalk line she had measured out during the warm-up period.

Her eyes now fixed on her daughter, Sandy reached over and grabbed Michael's hand. No matter how far removed they got from JJ's vault crash in the Netherlands, watching JJ on vault never failed to make her incredibly nervous.

With a swing of the arms, JJ launched into her run, powering evenly down towards the springboard. She hurdled, her hands coming down in the center of the mat as she flipped onto the springboard and backwards onto the table. As her hands brushed the surface of the table, Sandy drew in a breath, squeezing Michael's hand tightly.

Her block was strong, stronger than she thought it had ever been, and she was able to easily wrap in two clean twists. She could feel her feet coming slightly apart in the air, and she tried to pull them back together. The landing came up fast, her feet landing a little way off of the center line, but still easily within the red markings, even with a big hop to control the landing. Smiling, she turned and presented to the judges as the audience clapped for her excellent first effort.

She turned and walked off the podium, walking straight into a hug from Kyla. Jenny was bustling around, making sure everyone was where they needed to be, but she stopped for a moment to give JJ a pat on the back as she made her way back to the chairs.

As her teammates went up after her, JJ focused on getting her grips on right. Bars had always been touted as her weak event, which she didn't quite agree with... but she wanted to make sure her grips weren't going to cause her any trouble.

Aly and Gabby vaulted next, putting up a 15.700 and a 15.900 respectively. With McKayla still to go, JJ knew her score would be dropped from the team total, but it was hardly anything to worry about – she had put forth a strong showing for her own individual all-around efforts. A 14.800 was certainly not a bad start by any standards. Even though she was the lowest scoring vaulter from the US team, she was still higher than many other countries would get to.

As she was wrapping her buckles around her wrists, she brought her eyes up to the podium upon which McKayla now stood. The first of her two very strong vaults, the Amanar, was sure to be a top vault for their team total. The second was only counted towards her vault final qualification – which JJ was sure she would also top.

"Come on Mac!" she called out encouragingly as the light went green and McKayla saluted the judges. "You got it!"

And then the vaulting powerhouse was sprinting down the runway, flipping cleanly onto the springboard and then the table, before launching into the air and executing two and a half clean twists. A larger than usual step on landing demonstrated what little was showing of her Olympic jitters, but nonetheless, it was going to be a huge score.

Sure enough, a few minutes and a second vault later, McKayla had eclipsed the leader board for vault finals, and brought the USA to a staggering 47.500 event total.

Grips on and chalk ready to go, the girls waited patiently for the rotation to end; vault was always the first event to finish in the rotation. Eventually, however, it came to an end, and the girls were falling back into line behind the volunteer. They walked calmly and professionally around the arena, Jenny and Chow, Kyla and Gabby's coaches respectively, following with the bags. Due to the rule that allowed only two coaches onto the floor for each team at any time, the male coaches were having to rotate in and out. One of the coaches on the floor had to always be a woman, meaning that by default, Jenny would be with them every step of the way. As the national bars coach for the USA that year, Chow was to guide them through bars. McKayla's coach, Artur Akopyan had brought them through vault. Nick would be joining them for beam, followed by Mihai for floor.

Warm-ups flew by in a chalky breeze, and then the chimes rang to indicate the new rotation had started.

Aly was up first, followed by Kyla, so JJ took the short break to focus her mind on the task before her. Even though the line-up had initially had JJ going before Kyla, Cheryl Hamilton, the US international brevet judge, had consistently been scoring JJ higher than Kyla in the training sessions. For that reason, Marta had made the last minute decision to switch them around.

Bars were always touted as her weakest event... but she didn't agree in the slightest. For so long, people had doubted her ability on bars, and JJ wanted nothing more than to go up and prove that she was a bars worker the team could count on. She wanted to simply hit a good routine for the team total. If she went for broke, she was capable of a high 15... but she also risked wigging herself out and falling from the bars. If she took out a few connections, she could keep her focus and put up a steady score for the team.

She knew straightaway that that was the better choice. If she qualified for finals, she could go for broke there. Sure, if she made a mistake there, it would suck, but at least she wouldn't have brought the team down with her.

There were other routines going on around the arena, but Sandy couldn't take her eyes off the tiny form of her daughter, waiting by the stairs for her turn on bars. She looked extremely calm and collected... a complete opposite to the child who had called her in tears after the first night of Trials. For Sandy, however, the moment was filled with butterflies. She loved, and hated watching JJ compete at the same time. JJ was a beautiful gymnast, and Sandy loved watching her do the thing she was most passionate about, but it filled her with nerves and anxiety at the same time. The last thing she wanted to see was JJ falling, or getting hurt, and her long awaited dreams slipping away.

The two scores for the USA were now up. Aly had started them off with a 14.066, with Kyla upping her own score by eight tenths on Aly's, earning a respectable 14.866 for her solid efforts.

Sandy leant forward, resting her elbows on her knees as JJ ascended the stairs. The US were an efficient team, with Chow chalking up the bars for JJ as JJ chalked her grips. Before too long, JJ was standing beneath the bars, facing the judges, waiting for her green light to go ahead.

Michael's hand came to rest on her knee as JJ saluted the judges and turned to face the low bar. Taking a deep breath, Sandy shook her head slightly, sitting up a little straighter and focusing intently on her daughter.

With a jump and a glide, JJ had mounted, and Sandy's hand found her husband's.

"Come on baby girl... come on," she muttered softly, watching as JJ transitioned easily to the high bar.

"Good form," Michael said, mostly to himself as JJ swung into a stalder and ended in a perfect handstand atop the bar. So far, he knew some of her connections had been taken out, to save the risk of a fall, but so far, she was standing up to the pressure of hitting bars for the team.

Sandy leaned back in her chair as JJ swung beneath the high bar and up into her Tkatchev, instinctively holding her breath. The catch was easy, and JJ immediately connected it into her Pak transition back to the low bar. She was supposed to connect it to an immediate transition back, but instead simply cast back into handstand. Taking a moment to steady herself above the bar, she swung around the low bar, releasing and recatching the high bar.

"Nice JJ!" Michael called out, gripping Sandy's hand.

Just the dismount. They gripped each other's hands tightly as JJ wound up, building energy and speed.

With a _ping_ that seemed to reverberate around the arena, she let go, rocketing up into a flighty double layout.

"YES! Good girl!" Michael yelled as she hit the mats and didn't move.

"Jennifer Jareau!" the announcer's voice said, loud and clear as JJ saluted the judges and turned to leave the podium.

"Oh no, that means beam is next," Sandy groaned, making Michael laugh.

"San, she's literally the reigning world champion"

"Yes, but it's the scariest event. That and bars. Oh, I don't know," Sandy sighed. Michael laughed again, squeezing her hand tightly.

"She'll be fine," he murmured, turning and pressing a kiss to her temple.

"She's doing really well so far, don't you think Mike?" Anne said conversationally from the row in front of them as she turned to face her son. "They all are!"

"They've trained years for this Anne, of course they're doing well," Harry chuckled from beside her.

"I'm not going to lie... I'm just so happy to be watching her actually compete in person. Watching it online just isn't the same," Anne gushed, patting Michael's knee before turning back to face the competition floor.

By the time JJ had packed away her grips, Gabby had finished, anchoring the team with a 15.333 – perfectly tying JJ's score from before. If they qualified to the bars final, which was looking promising, the tie would be broken to determine their ranking. As JJ's difficulty score was lower than Gabby's, therefore ensuring her execution was higher, she would slip one place above Gabby on the bars ranking.

It was a seemingly quick wait for the British girls to be finished on floor. The roars of the British crowd were nothing short of incredible, and JJ found herself hoping that Team GB would earn a berth to the team final. What an incredible experience it would be, competing as a top eight nation in front of a home crowd.

"Hey kiddo," came a familiar voice behind JJ as she stuffed her water bottle back into her bag. She turned, smiling widely at her coach who had now joined them on the floor for the beam rotation.

"You've done well. Really well. I was impressed by your bars score," Nick said warmly.

"Thanks," JJ said with a small smile. "I was surprised it was so high seeing as I took out a couple of connections"

"Yeah, but that allowed you to really hone in on the execution. It was a good routine, JJ, I think you'll make the final with it," Nick said reassuringly. JJ smiled, not saying any more as she gathered her thoughts and honed her focus down onto the next event.

The end of the rotation was upon them soon enough, and in line once more, they walked around the arena to the same upbeat music, headed for beam.

Her pet event. The event she had become the surprise world champion on, just nine months earlier, in Tokyo, Japan.

 _She'd been so solid. Every landing, so perfectly centred, she had hardly dared to believe it. A stuck landing had been the cherry on top of a picture perfect routine._

 _And perfect it would have to be. Sui Lu of China had posted a massive 15.866 earlier in the final. JJ hadn't realised just how badly she wanted to win until the score had gone up, and the challenge was set._

" _It's going to be a big order for JJ, but if anyone can surpass a 15.866, it's her, she does after all, have the astronomical start value. That routine was about the absolute best she could have- PHWOAR! OH MY GOSH!"_

 _Breaking into a grin, JJ leapt up excitedly, throwing her arms around Jordyn, who was laughing beside her. For her name had just slid into the top spot – with a massive 15.933._

Closing her eyes as the chime sounded for warm-up to begin, JJ took a deep breath, shaking her arms out as she did.

This was her event. Now, more than ever, it was time to block out the nerves, block out the crowds, and most importantly, block out the Olympic rings which were staring at her from what felt like every possible surface.

After Kyla had hopped down from the beam, JJ waited for Nick to position her springboard. When it was in place, she took a breath to settle herself, before running at it and punching off the board. She flipped through a clean front pike, finding her feet easily. Once she was happy with her position, she turned, wanting to practice her major flight series.

Her time was up faster than she knew. Happy with her skills, she left the podium, finding a little spot down the end of the chair row to sit and focus herself on her event. She wasn't really nervous. Beam was _her_ thing. She had never fallen in competition, and the apparatus simply failed to scare her. Many gymnasts dreaded beam... but she absolutely relished in it.

Lost in her own world, it wasn't long before it was her turn to take the podium. Gabby, Kyla and Aly had all gone ahead of her, posting strong scores of 15.066, 15.075, and 15.100 respectively.

Thousands of miles away in Tessa's living room, JJ's closest friends were sprawled out around the room, their eyes fixed keenly on the screen.

" _Now, what Marta Karolyi does is she builds lineups on the basis of score building. The strongest athlete on each piece always goes last. The building has gone quite well, the scores have very gradually crept up from Gabby's 15.066, but my guess is, this young lady right here is going to absolutely smash it out of the park"_

" _Yeah, I would not be surprised to see a mid 15 here, that's fairly standard for her"_

" _I just... every time I see JJ standing by a balance beam, I am struck by how little she is! She's only about four foot nine, maybe ten, but... I don't know. It just always makes me laugh. It's even funnier... she celebrated her eighteenth birthday last week, and yes, that means she can legally drink in the United Kingdom even though I don't think she would be able to see over the bar"_

JJ's friends laughed, Will shifting in his seat as he got more comfortable.

"Come on Jayje, time to kick ass! Show 'em who's beam boss!" Lani called encouragingly towards the TV.

Standing beneath the dazzling lights of the arena, JJ felt a wave of calm wash over as she watched her light flick to green. Smiling, she turned and saluted the judges, before lining herself back up in front of the board.

She took a deep breath, bringing her hands down in front of her, and then she was off, running lightly towards the springboard. Punching easily off of it, she flipped through a clean front pike, slamming her feet down onto the beam in earnest. Keeping it secure, she omitted the wolf jump she sometimes connected out of the mount, not wanting to risk it all on the first move.

A quick leap series brought her down to the other end of the beam. Swinging down, she flipped back once, twice, before rebounding into her full twisting layout. It was landed with a defiant THWACK against the end of the beam, garnering applause. Someone's floor music started in the background, but against JJ's focus, it may as well have been dead silent in the arena.

"Nice JJ! Come on!" came McKayla's voice from the sidelines.

Bringing her arms up, she stepped into an easy front aerial. It was strong, secure, and easily connected to a second one. As soon as she was upright on the second aerial, she swung her arms back, flipping into an Onodi. Now facing back the way she had come, she straightened up, presenting the end of the skill with a little flourish

She worked her way easily through the remaining elements of the routine. A switch ring for difficulty... some simple acro skills connected to dance elements... a full turn.

And then, she was standing at the end of the beam, the ten second buzzer ringing in her ears.

She leapt back, flipping once, then twice down the beam before punching into a soaring full twisting double tuck. She hit the ground with a little too much momentum, jumping backwards a sizeable distance to catch herself, but even so, she was smiling as she saluted the judges. Through the applause for her routine, she walked off the podium and into a tight hug from Nick.

"Good job. Really, really good. Except for that three tenth hop on the end, you muppet," he teased, swatting her shoulder lightly as she laughed and turned towards the girls.

Her score was up within a few minutes, an extremely respectable 15.500 that would have her near the top, if not _on_ top of the beam standings after qualifications.

Five minutes later, they were rotating around to floor, and JJ finally felt completely at ease. The hum of competition butterflies had disappeared since her score, and she was ready to make floor her best floor routine yet.

She was so calm, she even felt comfortable enough to watch Kyla and Gabby go before her. Kyla was up first, not entirely prepared for the enormity of Olympic competition, and JJ felt herself clenching her fists in a sudden wave of anxiety as Kyla bounded out of her first pass, a double Arabian to stag, and clean off the edge of the floor. After that, she kind of wanted to look away, but she couldn't... and she silently thanked whatever gym gods were watching above when Kyla made the rest of the routine with few errors.

Gabby was up next, and her first pass was clean and controlled. Her second pass, however, also a double Arabian, sparked up a fresh wave of nerves in JJ when she too rebounded out of the corner and clear over the boundary lines.

By the time her turn came, JJ was feeling a little edgy. But nonetheless, she stepped out onto the floor with a smile on face, breathing deeply to collect herself in the few moments before the music began.

When it started, she kicked into gear, extending every line, dragging out every note.

"Come on JJ," Sandy muttered under her breath as she watched JJ take off for her first tumble. A double layout, which she landed with relative ease.

Flourishing her arms as she stepped back into the corner, she tipped her chin up and took a deep breath. Before she even had time to think, she was off again, springing across the floor and flipping into a strong double Arabian. As she hit the ground, she suddenly understood the issue Gabby and Kyla had had, finding herself rebounding out of it more than she would have liked. By the skin of her teeth though, she managed to keep it in bounds.

"Come on Jayje!"

"Nice!"

She relaxed into the music, dancing her way around the floor. Her leap series, her turn sequence, all blended seamlessly between carefully selected choreography.

Almost on autopilot, she was off, flying through the air in a tight triple twist. When she landed, she threw her arms up, before carrying into her remaining choreography.

As she approached the final corner, she found herself thinking of all the times she had run out of stamina and crashed her double pike. But she just as quickly forced the thought away, turning and pressing her heels into the corner with a determined expression.

When she landed a strong double pike just seconds later, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. Beaming from ear to ear, she struck her final pose, garnering strong applause from the watching crowd.

"Jennifer Jareau!"

She left the floor, still smiling, immediately getting a tight hug from McKayla at the bottom of the stairs. Mihai gave her another squeeze, patting the top of her head happily, clearly proud of how strong she had been.

The remaining few minutes were a blur. Aly had put up a strong final showing for the USA, bringing their overall team total to a staggering 182.564. They were without a doubt through to the team final.

It was as she was gathering her things, ready to walk out with the other girls through to the mixed zone, that she glanced up at the scoreboard.

Her jaw dropped.

 **RK-ATHLETE-COUNTRY-SCORE  
1 – JAREAU J. – USA – 60.566  
2 - DOUGLAS G. – USA – 60.065  
3 - RAISMAN A. – USA – 59.991  
4 - FERRARI V. – ITA – 57.932  
5 - TUNNEY R. – GBR – 56.391  
6 - GOMEZ PORRAS A. S. – GUA – 56.132  
7 - WHELAN H. – GBR – 55.699  
8 – PEGG D. – CAN – 55.657**

"First? I'm in first all-around?" she said in disbelief, turning to Mihai. Mihai laughed, nodding. Behind him, Aly looked vaguely disappointed as she gathered her things.

"Yes," he said in his thick accent, patting her shoulder. "You and Gabby will be in the all-around"

Gaping, JJ couldn't help the smile that was forming. She was one of the top all-arounders in the USA. She had bested both Aly and Gabby in this stage of the competition, and while both had had minor mistakes, she felt that her 60+ score was proof that she was strong enough to contend.

"Huh," she chuckled softly, bending down to grab her bag from the floor. "Glorified beam specialist my ass"

* * *

 **REAL RESULTS**

At the end of American qualifications, Aly Raisman was the top American all-arounder, besting Gabby's score of 60.065. She and Gabby qualified to the all-around and beam finals, two per countrying Jordyn Wieber out of a chance to fight for Olympic gold as the reigning world champion. McKayla Maroney was the top qualifier to the vault final, Gabby qualified sixth to the bars final, and Aly and Jordyn qualified first and sixth into the floor final respectively.

* * *

 **TERMINOLOGY GUIDE**

 _ **As I'm going to start differentiating skills between events, I'm including the event designations in this guide.**_

 _VT –_ vault

 _UB –_ uneven bars

 _BB –_ balance beam

 _FX –_ floor exercise

 _Layout full (BB)_ – in a stretched 'layout' body position, the gymnast punches from the competition surface, and completes a single flip through the air, while rotating through a full 360 degrees about the longitudinal axis. It was first competed by Olessia Dudnik of the Soviet Union in the late 1980's, although the skill was never named for her.

 _Front aerial_ – standing on one foot, the gymnast steps forward on her other foot and propels upwards off of that foot. Without hand support, the gymnast whips though a front salto motion, with her legs coming one after the other to land on the same foot she started on. Landing on one foot allows the skill to be easily connected to other skills. Is most often performed on beam, but can be performed on floor as well.

 _Double layout_ ( _UB/FX_ ) – ( _on floor_ ) from a roundoff or back handspring, the gymnast punches from the floor in a laid out body position. She rotates twice through the air before landing on her feet still facing the way she started. ( _on bars_ ) letting go of the high bar, the gymnasts feet swing up and over her head. She keeps her body stretched and flips through two rotations before landing on her feet.

 _Triple twist_ – can be done on floor or off the beam as a dismount. From a roundoff or back handspring, the gymnast punches into the air in a laid out body position. She rotates three times about the longitudinal axis (1080 degrees of rotation), while flipping once through the air. She lands facing the way she came.

 _Double pike_ _(BB/FX)_ \- rebounding from a backwards flip, the gymnast brings her legs towards her chest, keeping her knees straight. Any hip angle of less than 90* is classified as a pike. Some angles between 90* and 180* are debatable depending on the skill.

 _Tap –_ during a giant swing on uneven bars, as the gymnast leaves the handstand position atop the bar, she hollows her body through the first half of the swing. In live motion, it appears as a quick flicking motion of the lower body, as if she is _tapping_ her feet towards the lower bar. It helps generate swing and momentum.

 _Flight series_ – a required series on beam. Two or more connected acrobatic skills, one of which requires _flight_ – no hand contact with the beam.

 _Short landing_ – a landing of anything less than upright. The chest will be out of alignment with the feet. A short forward landing may result in the gymnast sitting a skill. A short backwards landing can put real strain on the ankles.

 _Stalder -_ a giant swing on bars where the gymnast straddles her legs, keeps her toes near her hands, and swings around the bar. **REF - Laurie Hernandez demonstrates many stalder skills in her 2016 bar routine.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Sorry for the long break! Happy New Year! And happy first birthday to the reincarnation of Undying Champion!**

* * *

Monday dawned bright and early for the five girls who had fallen into bed exhausted after qualifications. A gentle knock against their doors from Chow indicated that they had half an hour to be ready for breakfast, before another day of training.

Rolling onto her back, JJ yawned, stretching her arms out as she did. Her blankets were tangled around her waist, but she was in no hurry to pull herself out.

"Hey… how'd you sleep?" Aly asked quietly, drawing her attention across the room. JJ turned to look at her, finding Aly already up and gathering her clothes.

"Pretty good," JJ said softly, pushing herself up. "You?"

"Yeah, ok," Aly replied. "You mind if I use the bathroom first?"

JJ shook her head, gesturing for Aly to go. She watched as her friend disappeared into the bathroom, before untangling herself from the sheets and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

It had been a little tense the previous evening. While the five girls had stormed ahead and qualified in first place to the team final, it was the individual finals that had caused grief. McKayla had qualified to the vault final in first place, as was expected. JJ and Gabby had both qualified to the bars final in sixth and seventh respectively. And JJ and Aly had both qualified to beam and floor, JJ in first for beam, and Aly for floor.

But the all-around remained elusive. Twice now, Aly had been the second strongest US competitor in the all-around, and had two fourth place all-around finishes at Worlds under her belt. She had even said to JJ multiple times that she wanted to take the number four and cut it in half.

And now JJ had knocked her out of the final.

Of course, she knew it wasn't like that. She and Gabby had simply had the better day. She knew any other day of competition, the result could have been vastly different. And Aly, to her credit, had tried her best to keep her team leadership up to par. She had congratulated JJ on making the final, but it had been tense. She had been noticeably more irritable after a physical therapy session with Larry, and JJ had responded by giving her the space she clearly needed to process the results.

They all needed to get their game faces on.

"All yours," Aly said, breaking JJ from her thoughts as she came back into the room. JJ looked up, giving her a small smile. Pulling herself up from the bed, she crossed the room to her bag, bending down to grab her toiletry case from the top.

"JJ?"

Straightening up, JJ turned expectantly to face her friend.

"I… I'm sorry I was such a grump yesterday. I was just… I guess I bought into all the trash talk saying that you were clearly the third best all-arounder on the team… and I don't even know why, because you beat me at Nationals. _And_ Trials," Aly said heavily. "I just… really wanted to make the all-around. So it was a bit disappointing when I realized that I hadn't. And I know it's not fair for me to have taken it out on you, especially considering it was technically Gabby who beat me into the final… I just really wanted a chance to turn that number four into a colour, you know?"

"I know," JJ said softly, stepping forward and placing a hand on Aly's shoulder. "I get it… it's ok. You had every right to be disappointed about it"

"I really am happy that you made the final," Aly said with a smile, lifting her hand to cover JJ's. "You've proved everyone who says you're a weak all-arounder wrong. And now it's time to kick some naysayer ass on Thursday"

JJ laughed. "I promise I will. I'll do it for both of us"

Beaming, Aly pulled JJ into a tight hug, which JJ gladly returned.

* * *

" _Did you have a good day today?"_

Worn out from training, JJ flopped into a beanbag, holding her phone tightly in her hand. It had been a long day. Now that they had proven themselves enough to make a handful of finals, Martha had packed on the pressure – the expectations for them to back up their qualifications performance with the goods to prove they deserved their places were bigger than ever. JJ had been thankful for the grind of training. It helped her keep her mind off of what would be taking place in just 24 hours.

"We worked super hard. Martha's really grinding us to perfection. She wants us to back up our qualifications scores in finals and prove we deserve them"

" _Speaking of… you were fantastic in qualifications, JJ, we're so proud of you! Finishing second in the all-around standings in your first international all-around competition… you should be really proud of yourself!"_

"Thanks Mom," JJ replied with a smile as she settled in her beanbag. Her phone was in front of her, on speaker as the other girls milled in and out of the room. She was thankful Aly hadn't been in the room at that moment though; she didn't think she could handle seeing the look of disappointment cross Aly's face again.

" _How are you hanging in there? Not feeling too anxious?"_

At her mom's question, something stirred in her chest. Even though she had gotten decently good at shutting all her other thoughts from her mind, her feelings for Will seemed to push back through at the end of the day. More than anything, she wanted to vocalize it to someone… and who better than her mom?

"Yeah, I'm ok," she said softly, biting the words back as she continued to mull it over.

" _But enough about gym… you should get a look at some of the boys we've seen walking around, they are so cute!"_

Immediately, the desire to tell her mom disappeared. She managed to laugh, her cheeks flushing. "Mom-"

" _I'll start giving them your number"_

"Mom, seriously-"

" _And that young boy on the British men's team, phwoar, JJ, he is a serious looker! Chat him up in the dining hall if you see him!"_

"Mom!"

" _Don't listen to your mother JJ, you don't need to be distracted by any dumb boys!"_

JJ laughed, suddenly relieved she hadn't said anything about Will now that it was clear she was also on speaker with _both_ of her parents. "Clearly Dad is the only logical parent around here, Mom, put him on!"

"No JJ, Max is hot!" McKayla chimed in as she came racing into the room. She jumped into the beanbag beside JJ with a loud _FLOOMP._ "He is _dreamy_!"

"Ok well he's definitely not interested in my four foot ten ass," JJ shot back as Aly and Kyla joined them. Aly laughed, while Kyla grinned, clearly a little confused at what direction the conversation was going in.

"You don't know that JJ, you have a seriously banging body, I bet all the male gymnasts have a thing for you!"

" _Do we really have to reduce my baby girl to her looks?"_ Michael chimed in from the other end of the line.

"If I had a dick, I would want to have sex with you!"

The room erupted into laughter as JJ's cheeks flamed bright red.

" _Ooohkay, I think we'll leave you girls to it,"_ Sandy chuckled. JJ could hear her dad laughing behind her, but that didn't stop the heat rushing even further up her cheeks.

"Yeah, I'm gonna hang up before Mac says something even worse, because believe me, that's about as tame as she gets," JJ shot back, making her parents laugh even harder.

" _Alright, well, we love you! And we're wishing all of you good luck for tomorrow, you girls are going to be amazing!"_

"Thanks Mom"

"Thanks Sandy!" Aly called over McKayla's shoulder. "Bye!"

" _Bye girls!"_

Hanging up the call, JJ turned to McKayla, ready to lay into her, but inevitably, all she could do was laugh.

"I'm never going to be able to say your name in front of my dad again," she laughed, making McKayla grin.

"I try my hardest," she giggled, shuffling over as Kyla squeezed into the beanbag beside her. Aly came to sit on the floor in front of JJ, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Honestly, between Max and Will-"

"Who said anything about Will?" JJ said quickly, cutting Aly off. The other three girls stared at her for a moment, McKayla's lips quirking into a knowing smile.

"I see our feelings from camp have solidified," she said quietly.

"No, they haven't," JJ said defensively. "He's just my friend"

"Your _super hot_ friend," McKayla quipped. "As Aly was saying, between him and Max, your opportunities are just getting more and more endless!"

"Just my friend," JJ repeated firmly.

"Your friend who totally wants to bone you"

"MAC!" JJ shrieked, her cheeks flushing red as the three girls dissolved into giggles. "Ok I've had enough, why don't we focus on finding _you_ a guy? You've already made innuendos to Usain Bolt"

"He's totally your type Mac, tall and silent," Aly teased. "We'll find you someone to rub your feet at the end of the day, before they take you to bed and have their way with you"

The girls laughed, but surprisingly, McKayla did not. Her expression had fallen, and all of a sudden, she jumped up from her beanbag.

"I have to go to bed," she muttered darkly, before turning and leaving the room without so much as another word. The other three stared at each other, confused, before Kyla slowly got up as well.

"I guess… I should go to bed too… big day tomorrow," she said softly, giving JJ and Aly a smile before turning and following McKayla's footsteps.

"Come on… let's go," Aly said, beckoning for JJ to follow her.

As stunned into silence as the others by McKayla's odd behavior, JJ obliged.

* * *

"JJ? Are you awake?"

Rolling onto her back, JJ looked across the dark room towards Aly's bed. They'd been in bed for nearly two hours, but JJ just couldn't get to sleep. Her stomach was completely aflutter, her mind racing.

"Yeah," she said softly.

Aly let out a sigh. "I'm so nervous. I actually feel like I might be sick"

Silently, JJ agreed. Tomorrow was finally the team final, and there had never been more pressure on them to deliver.

Throwing her covers back, she slipped out of bed and padded across the room to Aly's bed.

"Scooch over," she whispered, making Aly giggle as she shuffled over to let JJ in. Moments later, they were both squeezed into the little wooden bed, their hands laced tightly together as the reality of the next day washed over them.

"I'm nervous," JJ said quietly. "But I'm also really excited… it's the Olympic Games… our first final… I just can't believe it's really here"

"I can't believe _we're_ really here," Aly gushed, squeezing JJ's hand a little tighter. "All those years we watched Carly and Shawn and Nastia… now it's our turn"

"Do you think we can do it?" JJ breathed, refusing to use the word she really wanted to say. She didn't want to jinx them after all.

"If we just do what we've done in training," Aly replied softly. "I think we have a good chance"

"Will said he's going to watch from home," JJ said suddenly. "I'm not sure if that makes me feel better or worse"

Aly giggled. "You totally have a thing for him"

"I do not!" JJ said indignantly, even though her heart gave a little skip. "He's just my friend Aly"

"Your friend who makes your stomach do flip flops every time he watches you compete," Aly pointed out.

"Shut up," JJ whispered, making Aly giggle again.

"Think of him as your good luck charm. You always do really well when he's watching, even if you're nervous. Because deep down… you want to intimidate the hell out of him"

They both laughed.

"We should go to sleep," JJ said softly.

"And then bring on tomorrow," Aly breathed, reaching over and giving JJ a tight squeeze. They held on for a few moments, before JJ let go, sliding out of the bed and heading back to her own.

Back under her own covers, she turned to face the window, taking a deep breath to try and quell the butterflies living in her stomach.

24 hours from now... and she would either have made her dream come true... or watched it slip away.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Sorry about the break! These competition chapters are the hardest to write, because there's so many elements!**

* * *

The arena was still calm, despite the hum of quiet voices talking all around. Sandy could hardly sit still, her knee bobbing up and down as she sat beside her husband in the stands.

Today was the day they had all been anxiously awaiting... not even just since the start of the Games, but since the day JJ had decided the Olympics were her end goal. Today, the USA would go out and attempt to win a gold medal that had eluded them since 1996.

Silently, Michael reached over and took Sandy's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze as he stared straight ahead towards the competition floor. They were sitting practically right in the middle of the side closest to the vault, giving them a wide sweeping view of the entire arena. The floor lay beyond, bookended by the uneven bars to their left, and the balance beam to their right.

Sandy just hoped JJ's competition nerves wouldn't serve to unravel her today. She had to be on for the team, not just herself. She was a great gymnast... but would the looming prospect of an Olympic gold be the undoing of her? It certainly wouldn't be the first time someone had come undone at the prospect of Olympic glory.

"You alright?" Michael asked quietly, breaking her from her subdued silence.

"Yeah... I think so," Sandy replied, letting out a long breath. "I can't believe how nervous I am... I thought this would be easier"

Michael chuckled. "Me too. But we just have to have a little faith. JJ's always been amazing at what she does. Today isn't going to be any different"

Sandy took a deep breath, nodding slightly as her eyes scanned the competition floor for any sign of the impending final making a start. She glanced at her watch.

 _4:25._

Turning her head towards Michael, she swallowed thickly. And before she even knew it, the worries that had been rattling around in her head since arriving in London were suddenly spilling forth from her lips.

"What... what's going to come next?"

Michael glanced at her, and the expression on his face was not one of surprise, or confusion... rather, it was one of understanding. Like he knew exactly how she was feeling.

Because what was going to come next? JJ had worked her entire life for this moment. What was going to happen when it was over? Her biggest goal, now done and dusted. At eighteen years old, nonetheless.

"I... I'm not sure," Michael admitted softly. "I've been thinking about it for a while, but... I didn't want to make you worry. Honestly, I'm not sure what she'll do without such a big goal... but I guess... all we can really do is sit back and just take what comes as it comes"

Smiling, Sandy squeezed his hand, leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder for a moment.

Down in the belly of the arena, JJ bounced nervously on her toes as she stood behind McKayla in the line. They were already lined up in presentation order; the three vaulters in competition order, JJ as the backup vaulter, and Kyla as the only girl who hadn't competed vault in qualifications.

"All the gymnasts are ready to go," JJ heard one of the nearby event managers say into his radio. The butterflies in her stomach grew, but she kept her game face on. Behind her, Kyla took a deep breath, and JJ immediately knew she was feeling the same nerves.

They were dressed in dazzling red. Swarovski crystals lined the front and back, loosely outlining the iconic shape of the Chrysler building. JJ had fallen in love with this particular leotard the minute she had seen it, and she loved how they all looked in it. Tonight was their night. There was no denying it.

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the North Greenwich Arena for the women's artistic team final!" the announcer called out, his voice so steady it sounded almost recorded. "Please put your hands together and make some noise for the gymnasts as they enter the arena!"

The calm steady music gave way to something more upbeat, and then the girls in front of them began to walk.

This was it.

As they were closest to their first event, they were the second to last team to walk in, closely followed by the girls of the Russian Federation, dressed in their red and white patterned warm-ups. JJ had immediately recognised the focused face of Aliya Mustafina, the 2010 World all-around champion who had gone down to an ACL tear at the previous year's European Championships. It had made JJ happy to see Aliya recovered and back at it with her team. She knew the journey back from an injury all too well.

Finally they emerged into the hot pink surrounds of the North Greenwich Arena, the audience roaring for the impending final. They walked down the length of the vaulting runway, before turning back and lining up by the stairs closest to the vault table.

The ten girls stood down the side of the podium, waiting to be led up and presented to the judges for the start of competition. For JJ, it was all a blur of excitement and nerves. She focused on her breathing as they were finally led up to stand in front of the judges and have their names announced to the arena. She had to stay focused, but still enjoy it. They were at the Olympics, and this was their moment.

The judges smiled up at them as they stood in line, Aly still bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Starting the women's team final on the vault... the team from the United States of America!"

The roar from the crowd filled JJ with elation as all five girls reached up and waved. Even from her perspective, JJ could see the lights dancing off the crystals on their leotards, and in that split second, she felt a wave of electrifying excitement roll through her.

"Alexandra Raisman!"

Aly stepped forward, waving with a smile to the still roaring crowd.

"Gabrielle Douglas!"

Gabby beamed her million dollar smile, waving excitedly all around.

"McKayla Maroney!"

McKayla stepped up, her smile almost reminiscent of an arrogant smirk.

"Jennifer Jareau!"

JJ couldn't help the smile as she stepped up to wave, her feelings of insecurity seeming to vanish as the crowd amped up again for her.

"Kyla Ross!"

Kyla's expression was one of simple childlike glee as she waved to the crowd. She stepped back in line beside JJ, both of them sharing a smile as the announcer moved along to Russia.

"The team from the Russian Federation! Aliya Mustafina... Viktoria Komova... Maria Paseka... Ksenia Afanasyeva... Anastasia Grishina!"

"Starting on the uneven bars, the team from the People's Republic of China... Huang Quishuang... He Kexin... Yao Jinnan... Deng Linlin... Sui Lu!"

The Chinese were wearing gorgeous red and gold leotards that JJ had heard were designed by He Kexin herself. The red emblem of China was affixed to the center of their chests, something that had long since been a staple of the Chinese leotards.

"The team from Romania... Diana Bulimar... Diana Chelaru... Larisa Iordache... Sandra Izbasa... Catalina Ponor!"

JJ clapped as she watched the Romanian girls step forward one by one. Romania had such a rich history in gymnastics, of course starting from way back when Nadia Comaneci scored the first perfect 10. The perfect 10 had since been abolished, but Nadia's legacy carried on. Catalina Ponor was probably the most well known member of the team, having won three gold medals all the way back in 2004.

"Starting on the balance beam... the team from Great Britain!"

A roar filled the arena unlike any that had come before it, sending a flutter of emotion through JJ's chest. How special this day was for these girls, to be in the team final at the Olympic Games, in front of a proud and adoring home crowd.

"Imogen Cairns... Jennifer Pinches... Hannah Whelan... Rebecca Tunney... Elizabeth Tweddle!"

The girls from Great Britain were dressed in a deep royal blue, sparkling almost as much as the American girls beneath the strong lights of the arena. Beth earned the loudest roar of all the GB girls, being their World champion and best hope for an Olympic medal.

"The team from Japan... Aiko Sugihara... Yu Minobe... Asuka Teramoto... Koko Tsurumi... Rie Tanaka!"

Spying the Japanese girls across from them, JJ felt a funny urge to laugh when she spotted the youngest member of their team, Asuka Teramoto. For once, JJ wouldn't be the shortest gymnast in the final – for surely, Asuka could stand no taller than four feet, six inches.

"Starting on floor exercise... the team from Italy... Carlotta Ferlito... Vanessa Ferrari... Erika Fasana... Giorgia Campana... Elisabetta Preziosa!"

All the gymnasts shared a little grin as the announcer stumbled over Elisabetta's surname, even Elisabetta herself laughing as she waved to the audience.

"The team from Canada... Elsabeth Black... Dominique Pegg... Victoria Moors... Kristina Vaculik... Brittany Rogers!"

The Canadian girls were wearing an almost identical shade of red to the Americans, perhaps an unconscious nod to their shared international border. Instead of the mountains of crystals on the USA leotard, the Canadian leotard sported a modest scattering of crystals across the chest, complete with a bedazzled maple leaf smack in the middle.

"Gymnasts. You may commence warm-up"

Kyla and JJ left the podium, the Russians behind them as the three American vaulters began their one touch warm-up.

"You ready for this?" Kyla asked quietly as they reached their bags and began to pull their team warm-ups back on; neither of them were competing until the next rotation on uneven bars, and it was important that they kept warm and relaxed until then.

"Shit scared," JJ admitted with a grin. "But more ready than I've ever been for anything in my whole life"

Kyla laughed. "I think I have to echo that sentiment. Is this what it was like to compete at Worlds?"

JJ shook her head with a giggle. "Worlds was scary but exciting, and this is on a whole new level"

"Gymnasts! Warm-up is over. Prepare for competition!"

Aly was already standing alone at the head of the runway, her eyes focused and fixed on the table. The four remaining team members on the sidelines watched on as she saluted the judges and took off down the runway with no messing about.

A flip onto the table, two and a half twists through the air, put beautifully to her feet to rapturous applause.

"Good job!" McKayla said happily as Aly hopped off the podium to join her teammates. Up the other end, Gabby had ascended to await her turn.

After getting quick hugs and encouragement from the other girls, Aly turned her attention to Gabby, her face of leadership already back in place as they waited for Gabby to go. JJ and Kyla stood alongside her, while McKayla hung around by the stairs at the starting end of the runway.

15.800 was Aly's score, an exceptionally strong start to their bid for team gold.

Gabby's vault went by with little fuss, receiving a solid 15.966 to get the ball really rolling ahead of McKayla's turn.

Back in Pittsburgh, Will was glued to the TV from the floor of Lani's living room. Whereas they had been quite talkative and loud during the opening ceremony, this time, they were quiet, eagerly awaiting the next routine that would take their friend and her teammates one step closer to the ultimate dream.

" _So far two gymnasts from America have vaulted, 15.800 for Alexandra Raisman as we saw, 15.966 for Gabrielle Douglas, but this, the third vaulter, McKayla Maroney,"_ the British commentator said as McKayla saluted the judges. " _And this girl carn half vault"_

Taking a step back, McKayla tapped her foot once, before she took off down the runway, her run powerful, her expression fierce.

" _Stand by the top seats of the North Greenwich Arena to get a good view!"_

Even through the TV, Will could see the table shaking as McKayla flipped onto it and rebounded from it. The height was so much more than the others that the crowd audibly gasped as she cleared the peak of her vault.

" _Up, up, up and-"_

With a defiant thud, her feet hit the mat and she straightened up to present without so much as a hint of a shuffle.

" _-lands perfectly! That was... fantastic! Best vaulting I have ever seen! Legs glued together, rockets into the air, they are on fire!"_

JJ and the girls went wild on the sidelines, pumping their fists into the air and cheering as McKayla ran from the podium, giddy with excitement.

"Holy shit, that was really good," Brenner commented from the back of the room, breaking the silence and making them laugh.

Back beneath the competition lights, JJ couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she ran up to her teammate – that had to be the most technically perfect vault she had ever seen!

"Good job Mac, that was amazing! That was so amazing!" Aly gushed as she hugged McKayla. "Perfect ten!"

JJ laughed as she reached out and hugged her friend. The nerves were slowly ebbing away, having seen her teammates put up strong starts to the competition.

She was more than ready for what the next two hours held.

* * *

Wanting to keep her nerves in check, JJ hadn't watched any of Kyla's routine on bars, instead choosing to remain in the corner as she carefully warmed herself up for her routine.

It seemed like no time at all before she was atop the podium, facing the judges with her eyes trained on the screen that would give her the go ahead.

It flashed green, making her turn and smile as she saluted the judges. With a deep breath, she turned to face the bars. Now was the most important time. She had to be brilliant.

As she mounted the apparatus, up in the stands, her mom was clenching her father's hand. No matter how many times she watched JJ do bars, they still made her nervous. It was here that JJ's biggest potential to unravel completely lay.

"Come on baby girl," she muttered as JJ transitioned to the high bar. She drew in a sharp breath as JJ pulled up to handstand, holding it as she swung around the bar and into her first release. When JJ's hands closed securely around the bar on the other side, she let it out again.

She'd even managed an extra connection compared to the routine she had done in qualifications, the immediate transition to the high bar after her Pak salto. But just like she trained, she had shut off her mind to stop herself from overthinking, focusing solely on the routine, and now, she was winding up for the dismount.

With a satisfying _ping_ , she let go of the high bar, soaring up into her dismount. She hit the mat with a _THWACK_ , completely upright, her arms already in the air and a million dollar smile on her face.

"Yeah Jayje!" Will yelled excitedly as he watched JJ turn and salute the judges before leaving the mat. "So good!"

"She's gotten better there! I remember last year she was a bit of a mess," Tessa mused from beside him. "Man I was nervous watching that... I still can't believe half the stuff she does, I'm too afraid of heights to even consider it"

Bounding down from the podium, JJ was enveloped in a crushing hug by Aly and McKayla, who were both as equally excited at the improvement she had shown with her routine.

"You keep up like that and you're going to be in the hunt for a bars medal," Aly muttered quietly, a devilish grin on her face. JJ scoffed, playfully swatting Aly's shoulder as she began to take off her grips.

Having earned a strong 15 to follow Kyla's 14.933, JJ was feeling all the more confident as they watched Gabby take her turn. She seemed to soar through the air above the bar, reminding everyone exactly why she had been picked for this team.

Soon they were heading around to beam, and JJ chose again after the warm-up to work quietly by herself in the corner. She knew her teammates would hit. They had all trained so well for this moment. But she couldn't watch them. She had to stay focused, she had to stay calm. If she didn't nail beam... what good was she on this team?

Gabby was first, and just as they all knew she could, she nailed a solid set. She and JJ were very much the same in that so long as they didn't get too much into their own head, they had the goods to make it happen.

Her 15.233 was followed by Kyla's very respectable 15.133, a score that had Kyla tearing up with pride at the knowledge that she had done her job for her country. She had even pointed to her tears, laughing all the same, and said "look Aly! Tears!" a statement that had made them all laugh – Kyla was known for being very in control of her emotions.

And then, stoic and determined, JJ was staring down the end of the beam. Nick was off to the side, watching her closely, but at this point, his work was done. It was up to JJ now.

Up above the floor, Jason was gripping Katie's hand as he watched JJ salute the judges.

All he wanted was for JJ to nail this routine. Being her signature event, it was also the one she cut herself the least slack on. One mistake would have her pissed off about it for days.

" _Now here... the world beam champion. Jennifer Jareau, of the USA"_

" _She's fabulous on this event. I know Amanda Redding, the head coach for our girls, was watching Jennifer in qualifications the other day and wondering how on earth they can get our girls doing beam like that"_

" _Her difficulty is just ginormous"_

She hit the beam with a defiant thud, making Katie flinch in her seat as her grip on Jason's hand tightened. She and Jason never got to see JJ compete live anywhere near as much as Sandy and Michael did... and all that achieved was making them more nervous when they actually _did_ see her.

"Nice Jayje," Jason muttered as she executed her leap series. Steadying herself momentarily, she swung back into her flight series; two flips, into a layout full.

" _That's just... wow"_

" _Not many girls competing that move, in fact, she's the only one at the Games doing it, and it's probably the best laidout full I've ever seen"_

Without so much as a breath in the middle, JJ went straight into her front aerial, followed by a second one. As she swung immediately back into an Onodi, Jason held onto his breath, leaning back in his seat momentarily before JJ's feet made safe contact with the beam on the other side.

"You're going to raise your blood pressure," Katie chided him softly. "This is _JJ_... she's great!"

"JJ's the reason my blood pressure is going up," Jason muttered as JJ did a full spin, finishing it perfectly on the ten second chime. Katie chuckled, swatting his side as she leaned into him.

With two clean flips down the length of the beam, JJ rebounded into a full twisting double tuck, landing it perfectly upright and stuck to the floor. Her family broke out into loud cheering, joining the applause coming in from all sides as she saluted the judges and jogged off the mat beaming from ear to ear.

"One more baby girl... just one more. You're almost there," Sandy whispered as she clapped for her daughter. It was more for herself than anything, but it rang true.

They were three routines away from what looked like a gold medal.

* * *

Russia had been nipping at their heels. But in one fell swoop, it had all come unravelled on floor. Anastasia Grishina had fallen out of her stepout on her combination pass, meaning not only did she have hefty execution deductions, she was missing a required component of the routine.

So Ksenia Afanasyeva had risen up as the reigning world champion, ready to cement Russia's place in the standings. And it had looked so good, so strong... until her final pass. Like a flash, she had crumpled on her rebound, landing her double pike on her knees in a defeated final attempt at Russia's bid for gold.

Then the warm-ups had brought their fair share of trouble. Aly had rebounded out of her double front and directly onto her head. Completely unhurt, she had simply got up and walked it off, but it had made JJ's stomach start doing flip flops.

Then she herself had done a timing run of her double pike, the pass she used to close her routine. And crashed it to the floor, exactly like Afanasyeva had done not even five minutes before.

A little more nervous than before, she had pulled herself up to try it again. This time, she managed to get her feet to the floor, before throwing her hands down to catch herself.

"Oh JJ, come on," Sandy breathed. "You can do it"

"JJ," came Mihai's voice from behind her. She pulled herself up, turning to face the Romanian with a defeated look.

"Do the double tuck instead," he said calmly. "It won't hurt our chances, and you're less likely to make a mistake"

She nodded once. He gestured her back to the floor, where she lined up in the corner once more.

Taking a deep breath, she took off again. This time, she got a strong punch, easily pulling a double tuck around and to her feet. Catching Mihai's eye, she shot him a smile as she walked from the floor, the flip flops in her stomach lessening slightly.

The warm-up was over. And so, after the roar for GB's Hannah Whelan, Gabby stepped up to take the floor.

" _This, to help the USA earn a score of 39.466... for gold"_

With her music throbbing through the arena, Gabby took off. This time, JJ was watching, her heart racing. Less than 10 minutes to go until they knew... if their dreams would come true.

Gabby's first pass was solid, but as she lined up for the second, JJ felt her stomach lurch. This was the one that she had flown out of bounds at the end of on Sunday night. They had the room to cushion mistakes, but any mistakes would only make the job undoubtedly harder for herself and Aly.

But thankfully, Gabby kept it in, her smile seeming to reflect the lights of the arena as she bounced around into her choreography.

Turning away from the end of Gabby's routine, JJ took a few breaths to steady herself, her eyes trained on the floor.

A pair of hands landed on her shoulders, making her look up into the smiling face of Jenny Zhang.

"Don't worry," she said kindly. "You are going to do great"

JJ felt a warm feeling wash over her as she gave Jenny a genuine smile in return. Today was her chance to prove that she was more than just a beam worker. She could do floor in the team final... she could be counted upon for a great score.

Gabby's routine ended to rapturous applause, signalling that it was time for JJ to start moving. Forcing herself out of her own head, she ascended the stairs, high fiving Gabby as she passed her.

She shook herself out as she stood there, comforted by Jenny's presence on the floor behind her.

Gabby's score went up just over a minute later, and, unable to help herself, JJ chanced a glance up at the scoreboard.

What she saw made her heart leap.

Their total was 154.130, with two routines to go.

The gap to the Russian Federation was just _24.400_. She and Aly only needed to average 12.200 to win!

"On floor exercise, representing the United States of America... Jennifer Jareau!"

Beaming from ear to ear, she turned to face the judges, saluting them quickly before stepping out onto the carpet and into her starting pose.

"Come on Jayje," Will breathed as he shuffled a little closer to the TV. The room was practically silent, all of them waiting with baited breath to see if it was really going to happen.

" _This is such a delightful routine... for any long time gymnastics fans, you may remember this music from the Sydney Olympics! Andreea Raducan performed a very famous floor routine to this song"_

The music started and JJ sprung to life, immediately setting herself in the corner for her first pass. Determined, she sprung off her feet, tumbling down the diagonal and rebounding into the highest double layout she had ever done. She landed it with a flicker of doubt, flourishing straight into her choreography to follow.

" _She reminds me a lot of the Romanians on floor. She's so little, but deceptively powerful, and she's just so clean on everything she does!"_

"Come on Jayje!" Michael yelled as JJ tumbled back across the floor for her double Arabian, soaring through it with only a little shuffle of the feet on the landing. As she landed, the crowd began to roar, so much so she could hardly hear her music. But, with barely a second to register that thought, she continued on, counting out the music in her head as the deafening roar increased in volume.

Next was her triple twist, which was maybe slightly under-rotated, but she covered it quickly. A leap series carried her around to the next corner, where she continued to block out the cheers and narrowed her focus down on her landing spot.

Off she went. The tumbling was strong, and when she rebounded out of her backflip, muscle memory took over. Instead of the double tuck she had warmed up, she rotated through an easy double pike, hitting the floor with so much power that she rebounded into a strong split leap, her smile already spreading uncontrollably across her face.

With a final flourish, she hit her final pose, positively beaming as the crowd ramped up again in applause.

 _That was all for her!_

"Jennifer Jareau!"

Unable to wipe her smile off her face, JJ jogged off the floor towards the other girls, immediately being wrapped into a crushing bear hug by McKayla, Kyla and Gabby.

"You did it! You did it! You did your pike!" McKayla shrieked over the din.

"I did!" JJ cried back, laughing as they went in for another hug.

Her score was up just minutes later, a score that had them all aflutter with the realisation that their Olympic dream was just 90 seconds away.

15.133. Putting them just over 9 points away from the Russian Federation.

Confident, determined, and more surefooted than ever, Aly stepped out onto the floor to take her place.

" _I would say their Olympic gold medals are just about two minutes away"_

"They're so close!" Tessa cried excitedly as Aly's name card flashed up on the screen before them.

"I don't think I can watch, I feel sick!" Lani exclaimed from the other side of the room. "Start passing the tissues around"

"God I would not want to be Sandy and Michael right now," Michelle, Lani's mom, mused. Janine LaMontagne nodded in agreement, taking a deep breath as their attention turned back to the screen.

" _Stand by for a blistering finish for the USA"_

 _Hava Nagila_ filled the arena, and Aly was off. A breath to set herself, before taking off into her combination pass. As JJ had expected she would, she omitted the punch front at the end that she had so ceremoniously crashed in warm-ups.

"Nice Aly, come on!"

Swinging herself through her choreography, she took off again, back the way she had come, in a piked double Arabian. The music began to speed up as she danced her way around the edge of the floor, encouraging the crowd to clap along.

"Come on Aly, you got it!" Kyla yelled out as Aly leapt her way around to the nearest corner, before dropping down into her low choreography.

And then she was lining back up for her third pass, the music picking up pace again as she took off. She rocketed off the floor into a triple twist, landing it defiantly in the corner as her teammates cheered on the sidelines.

Even if she fell on her last pass... they had gold. They had to.

"One more Aly, let's go!" JJ yelled as Aly got herself into the corner again for her final pass. A deep breath and she was off, the music entering its last section.

She took off again, rebounding across the floor and up into a soaring double pike.

Her feet hit the floor and the arena exploded into deafening applause. She soared through a connected split jump, before swinging her arms into her final pose and becoming still once more.

"YEAH!" McKayla yelled, jumping up and down with Gabby as they began to run for the stairs. Aly was heading back towards them, her face twisted into an expression of overwhelming emotion.

"I think we did it!" Gabby said excitedly as they all wrapped each other in hugs, Aly trying to contain herself. JJ wrapped her in a tight hug, before pulling away and gripping her hand as they began to walk over to where they could see the jumbotron.

"I'm already crying," Sandy laughed as she and Michael rose from their seats. Not wanting to obstruct anyone's view at the very end, they had decided to move into the aisle, where they were a little more free to move around.

"Any minute now," Michael replied, somewhat breathlessly. They came to a stop on the stairs, Michael wrapping Sandy in a hug as their eyes remained trained on the scoreboard.

The girls stood together, hands linked, in the now eerily quiet arena. It seemed as though it was taking forever, at least to JJ. Her stomach was aflutter with excitement, but also, a sense of longing.

She wished Ros was in the audience. More than anything in the world.

Suddenly, the deafening roar was back, her hands were being thrown into the air, and she just managed a glance at the scoreboard before Aly wrapped her into a bone crushing hug.

 **WOMEN'S TEAM FINAL  
RK - TOTAL - GAP  
1 - UNITED STATES -184.563  
2 - RUSSIA - 178.530 - 6.033  
3 - ROMANIA -176.414 - 8.149  
4 - CHINA - 174.430 - 10.133  
5 - CANADA - 170.806 - 13.757  
6 - GREAT BRITAIN -170.495 - 14.035  
7 - ITALY - 167.930 - 16.633  
8 - JAPAN - 166.646 - 17.917**

They were in first.

"YES! OH MY GOD!" Michael yelled amongst the din, wrapping his now sobbing wife into his arms as excitement pumped through his body. Next minute, another body had joined them, and Jason was hugging them out of overarching joy. Over his wife's head, Michael's eyes were fixed on the scoreboard, his eyes beginning to swim with tears.

"Hey, is that your kid?" the man sitting on the end of the row to his left said with a smile.

"The little blonde one on the US team... that's our daughter," Michael said thickly as Sandy straightened up and turned to face the arena, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.

"That's amazing," the other man gushed, extending a hand to Michael, who gladly shook it. "Congratulations, I bet you're incredibly proud right now"

"Oh, we are," Michael said somewhat breathlessly, unable to stop smiling. Turning back to Jason and Sandy, he beamed, wrapping them into another crushing hug.

Lani's living room back in Pittsburgh had descended into chaos. Will had jumped to his feet, pumping his fist into the air, while Lani had dissolved into tears of joy amongst the din they were creating. For after years of talking about it, JJ had finally achieved her biggest dream.

Unable to control herself, JJ was sobbing, more than she ever had at the Olympic Trials. Joy, longing, glory, and massive rushes of adrenaline were coursing through her veins, accompanied by the disbelief of what she had just achieved.

A pair of arms wrapped around her, and she gratefully turned into them, recognising them immediately as belonging to Nick.

"I am so proud of you kiddo," he said thickly, his voice sounding awfully strained. "You just won an _Olympic gold medal_ , JJ!"

He pulled away, bending down slightly so he was level with her.

"Ros would be really proud of you," he said, just loud enough for her to hear. Swallowing back her tears, JJ nodded, managing a smile as Nick reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Go on. Go celebrate with the girls. You've earned it"

* * *

Chariots of Fire was playing in the background. She could see American flags waving all around the arena as the applause for the newly crowned silver medallists from Russia started to die off. Her stomach was full of butterflies, and she was on the edge of the tears that had overwhelmed her so easily at the conclusion of the final.

"Médaillés d'or et champions olympiques représentant les États-Unis d'Amérique"

Gabby grabbed her hand, an excited squeal leaving her mouth that made JJ laugh.

"Gold medallists... and Olympic Champions! Representing the United States of America!"

The North Greenwich filled with excited applause and JJ had to swallow hard. She still couldn't believe they had done it.

"Jennifer Jareau!"

Waving to the crowd, she began to walk around the podium to shake the hands of the girls from the Romanian team.

"Gabrielle Douglas!"

She couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she shook each girl's hand in turn, even getting a kiss on the cheek from Sandra Izbasa, the reigning Olympic floor champion.

"McKayla Maroney!"

Gabby was now right behind her as she shook Catalina's hand and began walking over to where the Russians were standing on their podium. The oldest member of the team, Ksenia, immediately smiled and leant down to kiss her cheek in congratulations.

"Alexandra Raisman!"

As devastated as they were with their silver medals, the Russian girls could not have been more gracious as they shook the hands of the American girls. Even Viktoria Komova had managed a smile as she exchanged congratulations with JJ.

"Kyla Ross!"

JJ was the first back up on the podium, and in no time at all, the other four girls had joined her. Cameras clicked all around, and then the volunteer and the IOC official were walking towards them with a tray bearing five picture perfect gold medals.

The IOC official came to JJ, smiling up at her as he picked up the first gold medal from the tray.

"Congratulations," he said in a thick accent that sounded somewhere between German and Belgian. JJ leant forward, her heart soaring as the purple ribbon settled heavily around her neck. Straightening up, she shook his hand, a lump forming in her throat as she took the medal in her hand. It was so much heavier than she had ever expected. Heavy with the weight of everything it had taken for her to get it.

Tears welled in her eyes again as she thought of her parents sitting in the crowd. How she wished so badly that Roslyn could be sitting there with them.

"Hey, you're not allowed to cry before Aly," Gabby giggled, reaching over and squeezing JJ's hand. It was a small action, but something that brought JJ a great deal of comfort. "I still can't believe we did it Jayje!"

JJ sniffed back her tears, a little laugh escaping as she turned the medal over in her hands again. It was the largest Olympic medal ever made to date... and one of them was all hers.

She'd really done it.

Flowers were awarded to them, and they had another presentation to the crowd. JJ wanted to sob out of sheer joy, but she kept her smile firmly in place.

"Ladies and gentlemen... please stand for the national anthem of the United States of America!"

There was a brief moment of confusion, but the girls eventually worked out that the flag was going to rise from their right. The lights around the arena dimmed, leaving a spotlight on the podium, and another one over to the right where six military officials stood alongside the event podiums.

Hand over her heart, JJ took a deep breath as _The Star Spangled Banner_ began to play. Accompanied on either side by the flags of Romania and the Russian Federation, the flag of the United States of America rose above them all. JJ felt as though she was going to burst with pride as she mouthed the words to their anthem, watching _their_ flag rise into the air.

The final notes of the anthem sung out across the arena, and the crowd began to roar. Beaming from ear to ear, the five girls raised their hands into the air, waving proudly to the adoring British crowd.

Sixteen years. Sixteen years after the Magnificent Seven... the Fierce Five had done it. And they had done it without any sliver of doubt that they were the greatest team in the world.

* * *

 **Real World Results**

In the 2012 Olympic team final, the team from the USA - Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, Kyla Ross, and McKayla Maroney - stormed their way to gold finishing with 183.596 points to finish 5.066 points ahead of the second place Russian team. Team Romania snapped up a bronze, which would be their last team medal in a 40 year streak of never finishing off an Olympic team podium.

Team USA competed the following lineups in the real team final:  
VT - Wieber, Douglas, Maroney  
UB - Wieber, Ross, Douglas  
BB - Douglas, Ross, Raisman  
FX - Douglas, Wieber, Raisman


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Time felt like it could stand still forever as Will kissed her so gently she thought she might melt under his touch. One of his hands was tangled in her hair, holding her impossibly close as his other hand slid underneath her dress and up towards her breasts. He smelt so good… the smell of his cologne and his shampoo mixing together to create an irresistible smell._

" _I'm so proud of you Jayje," he breathed as he broke the kiss. "I can't believe you won"_

" _Just kiss me," she whispered back, pulling him back down into another passionate kiss. His tongue swept across her lower lip, making her groan softly into his mouth. His hand began to move downwards, inching its way to the apex of her thighs. She was aching for him to touch her. It felt like her entire body was on fire just waiting for his hands to be between her legs._

 _Suddenly it was like she'd been punched in the gut. A bruising ache spread through her-_

"Come on Jareau, wake up!"

She forced her eyes open, staring blearily up towards the ceiling. McKayla's face came into focus above her, a shit eating grin spread from ear to ear. It suddenly became very apparent to JJ that the pain in her stomach was McKayla's knee.

"Could you get your knee… out of my uterus?" JJ groaned, her voice raspy with sleep. Aly let out a laugh from across the room as McKayla quickly shifted her leg off of JJ's stomach. When she was sure she was clear of all of JJ's body parts, she looked up again, her grin growing wider.

"What were you dreaming about?" she asked knowingly.

"Nothing," JJ mumbled, but even as she spoke, she could feel her face growing hot and red.

"Oh wow… you've never gone that shade of red before," McKayla laughed, winking suggestively at JJ. "Maybe you need some alone time?"

"It's nothing, I'm fine!" JJ exclaimed, shooting up so suddenly that she threw McKayla off the bed and onto the floor. Aly started to laugh again, even as JJ's face hardened. McKayla sat up, looking a little shocked, but otherwise unperturbed.

"Aly, maybe you should come and stay with me and Kyla, I think JJ might need a room to herself," McKayla teased as she pulled herself up off the floor. Her grin immediately turned to surprise as JJ flew out of the bed in her direction, stopped only by Aly quickly putting herself between the two.

"Kyla! Come get your roomie before blood gets spilled!" she yelled over her shoulder as she put her hands on JJ's shoulders and pushed her back towards her bed. Slowly, she walked backwards, forcing McKayla back to the door.

"What's going on?" Kyla asked, half amused and half confused as she appeared in the doorway.

"Just take Loudmouth Maroney back to your room and start getting ready for training," Aly said. "We'll be out in a minute"

She closed the door behind Kyla and McKayla. Sighing, she turned back to JJ, who was now digging through her duffel bag looking for the training leotard that matched the one Aly was wearing.

"What's going on with you?" Aly asked gently. "We just won Olympic gold last night… yet you're in the worst mood"

"I'm not, ok, I'm just…," JJ replied, sighing heavily as she straightened up. "Don't worry about it"

"Hey, stop for a second," Aly said gently, grabbing JJ's hands and pulling her over to sit on the edge of her bed. "Talk to me Jayje… I know Mac was just teasing, but you wouldn't have gotten upset about it if she wasn't at least somewhere on the mark"

JJ flushed pink again, her eyes trained on the floor.

"Is this about Will?" Aly asked quietly. "Is that… who you were dreaming about?"

JJ nodded glumly, taking more care now to avoid Aly's gaze than she ever had before.

"I like him," she breathed, just loud enough for Aly to hear.

"Well, I knew that," Aly chuckled. "You told me at camp, remember?"

"Yeah, but when I said it then, I was kind of in denial about it," JJ replied, finally looking up. "Everything just gets complicated when you start seeing a friend as something more, and I just… don't want to put myself through that"

"Don't worry about it," Aly replied. "Not every friend to something more kind of relationship is gonna end badly… the best relationships start as friendships!"

"How would you know?" JJ asked dryly.

"I read it in a magazine, but that's beside the point. JJ, from everything you've ever told me about Will, he seems like an amazing guy… I think it's only natural you would be attracted to him"

There was silence for a moment, before Aly spoke again.

"I'm sure he feels the same way about you, Jayje. How could he not? You're stunning, inside and out. And-"

"He's seeing someone," JJ cut in sadly. "He was telling me about her the other night"

"Oh," Aly said softly, slumping down where she sat. "That sucks"

"Yeah," JJ replied. "And… he was telling me about… how she went down on him, and I just feel like I'm never gonna grow up… he's done way more stuff than me"

"I completely get it, Jayje. I do," Aly said gently. "But we have our whole lives to worry about guys. This, right now? We're only here for two weeks. I know you're worried… but try and push it from your mind for right now. Focus on going out there and being the best damn gymnast you've ever been, and you never know… maybe Will will see what he's missing when he sees how amazing you are"

"You think?" JJ asked quietly. Aly nodded.

"If you get a chance when you get home, maybe tell him how you feel. You'll never know if you don't. But for right now, you have a job to do. And I'll be damned if some guy is gonna distract you from all the medals you could win"

JJ let out a little laugh, finally relaxing as she reached over and gave Aly a tight squeeze.

"Thanks Aly"

"Anytime. Oh, and if I hear any questionable noises that sound like they're coming from sexy dreams... I'll just throw myself into your bed"

JJ frowned, furrowing her eyebrows at Aly. "I'm gonna have to stop you right there and ask that if you hear me making... questionable noises... please _don't_ get into bed with me"

Aly laughed as JJ's phone buzzed on the bedside table, pulling their attention towards it. Smiling, Aly picked it up and handed it to her.

"I'm gonna finish getting dressed. You better be quick or Martha will be on the warpath"

Nodding, JJ opened the phone, smiling as messages of congratulations flooded her senses.

 _ **We are so so so proud of you baby girl! You were stunning last night, all of you were! I can't believe you did it. You were only five the first time you said you wanted to go to the Olympics… and now you're an Olympic Champion! Can't wait to see you in a couple of days, give our love to the girls! Love you so so much! Xx Mom and Dad**_

 _ **Good morning Olympic Champions! - Lynn Raisman**_

 _ **My best friend is an Olympic Champion, how fucking cool is that! I'm so proud of you! Also Lani will never admit it but she cried her eyes out when you won! – Will**_

 _ **I still think being an aeronautical engineer is way cooler :P I'm just kidding, Jayje, I am stupidly proud of you. And kinda embarrassed that my tiny ass little sister is infinitely cooler than I'll ever be. Don't forget I can still put you in a headlock! - Jason**_

Biting back a smile, JJ felt her spirits lift as she dropped her phone on her bed and got up to continue getting ready.

Aly was right. She had worked her entire life for these two weeks, and she wasn't going to let herself get off track. She would work her ass off right now, and when she got home… she would tackle her feelings for Will then.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: This took forever, but it's finally here!**

* * *

" _Well a very good afternoon! And welcome to the North Greenwich Arena. You're with me, Matt Baker, and sitting here alongside me in the commentary box is Christine Still and Mitch Fenner, as the gymnasts enter into the arena for the individual all-around final. So that means that the gymnasts will work their way around four pieces of apparatus, vault, bars, beam, and floor. There we see the first group, the top qualifiers there. Mustafina at the back of that group. And they will be working their way, as we say, around all four pieces. Two gymnasts from the USA, Gabrielle Douglas and Jennifer Jareau… Viktoria Komova, Vanessa Ferrari, Deng Linlin, and Aliya Mustafina. They'll be starting on vault. We'll see action on all four pieces here, and as soon as the gymnasts are finished, they'll just move on to the next one. And it's the combined score of all four pieces that will take the Olympic title. So, Christine, predictions"_

The music in the arena changed from the upbeat rhythm to something more intense as the volunteers began to lead them up the stairs and along the edge of the vault podium to stand before the judges. JJ and Gabby stood side by side, dressed in a deep magenta leotard that matched the colours around the arena. Around the neckline were hundreds of tiny crystals, dazzling their chests like a statement necklace, coupled with accents at their wrists. Taking a deep breath, JJ looked up and out at the arena. It seemed like there were even more people than there had been at the team final two days previously.

" _Well… if Komova can for once work absolutely faultlessly, she probably has the most firepower. She's got the big bar routine, the 7.0 start value, and she's got the big vault, the 2.5 twist. But we haven't really seen her work faultlessly, not even in the training hall. So my best bet, if I were betting, would be Gabby Douglas from USA, who has really wowed the crowd here"_

"Starting on the vault. Representing the United States of America… Gabrielle Douglas!"

Gabby stepped forward, waving to the crowd with a smile.

"Representing the United States of America… Jennifer Jareau!"

JJ stepped up, smiling proudly as she waved.

" _Her teammate, Jennifer Jareau, you'll have to forgive me Christine but I seem to know even less about her than her younger teammate, other than she's the reigning World champion on balance beam"_

" _She's been a very solid member of the US team this year, and in fact, I think a lot of people were surprised that the USA opted to bring her instead of their reigning world all-around champion, Jordyn Wieber. But she is very strong, Matt, particularly on beam and floor. She's got the highest start value in the entire competition on beam, I think she was credited with a 7.1 in the team final which is just… astronomical to say the least._

"Representing the Russian Federation… Viktoria Komova!"

Even though she stood an inch taller than JJ, Viktoria was positively tiny in stature, but radiated elegance in the beautiful royal blue leotard the two Russians had chosen for the final. She was the clear favourite for the title, having qualified in first, but she still had to deliver the goods. She came in as the silver medallist in the previous year's world final, and as the 2010 Youth Olympic all-around champion.

"Representing Italy…. Vanessa Ferrari!"

The tiny Italian was four years older than JJ and four inches shorter, standing at just 4'6. She was the 2006 World all-around champion, the first to win the title under the open ended code. Having qualified in sixth, she was well positioned to snap up a medal should any of the stronger players make a mistake.

"Representing the People's Republic of China… Deng Linlin!"

Deng was the tiny top qualifier from China, who already had an Olympic gold medal under her belt. She had been part of the Chinese team that had won a historic gold medal in Beijing four years earlier, and was one of JJ's biggest competitors for the beam title later in the Games.

"Representing the Russian Federation… Aliya Mustafina!"

Aliya was the 2010 World all-around champion, coming back off a knee injury. Despite that injury, she had more than proved her worth in the team final, competing all four events faultlessly for her team to help them secure silver. She was well liked by the majority of the gymnastics community, carrying herself with an air of confidence and elegance that simply couldn't be taught.

"Starting on the uneven bars. Representing the People's Republic of China… Huang Qiushuang!"

Sandy watched on from above as the remaining competitors were announced. Joining Huang on bars were the two Romanians, Larisa Iordache and Sandra Izbasa. Also in that group were the diminutive Asuka Teramoto of Japan, Germany's Elisabeth Seitz, and the pioneer of Venezuelan gymnastics, Jessica Lopez. The next group earned a massive roar, as in it were the two British gymnasts, Hannah Whelan and Rebecca Tunney. Joining them were Guatemalan Ana Sofia Gomez, the Italian Carlotta Ferlito, Dutch Celine van Gerner, and Canadian Dominique Pegg. The very last group consisted of the two Australians, Emily Little and Ashleigh Brennan, French star Aurelie Malaussena, Teramoto's teammate Rie Tanaka, and the last two individual gymnasts, Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland, and Martha Pihan-Kulesza of Poland.

Every gymnast in the final deserved their place, without a doubt. Sandy felt a rush of emotion as she watched each girl step forward when their name was called. Whether it was in the arena or around the world, right now, there were 23 other mothers who surely felt as proud as she did right now.

"Gymnasts, your warm-up starts now!"

Warm-up was a quick and efficient blur, as it always was for JJ. She timed her entry, before doing her actual vault for her second touch. Both timers went extremely well, and JJ was surprised to find herself feeling quite confident as she rejoined Nick on the sidelines.

Gabby was already up by the end of the runway, so JJ went to stand by the stairs nearby, so she was ready to go when it was her turn to take the stage. Even though she was focused, she wanted to see Gabby off to a good start as well, so she clapped her hands together and shot her teammate a smile.

"You got it Gabby!" she called encouragingly. She saw Gabby's lips quirk up into a small smile as she saluted the judges, before stepping onto the runway and lining herself up. With a deep breath and a focused gaze, the young gymnast took off down the runway. She was slight, but powerful as she hurdled towards the springboard.

Flipping back, Gabby pushed hard off the table, but her height in the air was never anything compared to McKayla's. She was incredibly slight, even tinier than JJ as far as body mass went, and she also tended to twist onto the table before blocking. But she made the height work, wrapping the twists in ridiculously fast before her feet hit the ground. She was mere millimeters from going out, but the fight to stay in was clear in the smile on her face. When she was sure it was dead on, she turned and saluted the judges, her massive smile lighting up her entire face as she left the landing mat and jogged from the podium.

As soon as she had cleared the stairs, JJ headed up towards the chalk bowl. She robotically dusted her hands and feet, before glancing up to where Nick was positioning the springboard for her. He had switched it out for the higher number of springs. Even though she was slight, JJ had an incredibly powerful round-off, and they had found in the last 18 months as she reached her current body mass, that using the weaker springboard would either bottom out the board or catapult her clear over the table. As a compromise, the tougher board had definitely helped her find the sweet spot.

Gabby's score came up just a minute or so later, a massive 15.966 to get her all-around contest off to a strong start. JJ didn't notice however; she was too busy watching Nick. When he had the board where she wanted it relative to the table, she nodded once. He gave her a thumbs up, before quickly leaving the podium to wait at the bottom of the stairs. With the competition going efficiently as always, it wasn't too much longer before JJ got her green light. She dusted her hands through the chalk once more, adjusting her tiger paws before swinging her arms up into a salute.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped sideways onto the runway, lining her toes up with the chalk mark on the ground that indicated where she wanted to start. Looking up, she gazed at the table. She took a step back, tapping her toe against the mat before breaking into her run.

She hurdled cleanly onto the hand mat, her feet whipping down powerfully onto the board and ricocheting her back towards the table. She felt the block all the way through her shoulders, her body propelling off the table into the air. Once her hands had cleared the table, she wrapped in two tight twists, coming down neatly on the landing mat with only a little hop back to soak up her momentum.

She was beaming from ear to ear as she turned to salute the judges, before turning back on herself and heading down to where Nick was waiting.

"That was so much better than qualifications," Nick said warmly, giving her a tight squeeze, patting her on the back as they started walking back to her bag. "Really powerful, really clean, good job"

As she was digging her grips out of her bag, her score came up, joined by a frown from Nick.

"15.300? Where did they find five tenths?" he muttered quietly, so only JJ could hear. "But hey, you're still up half a point on qualifications, so it's a good start"

JJ paid no mind to the remainder of the rotation. She sat quietly beside Gabby, neither of them speaking as they prepared themselves for bars. They both had their own routines, and it was the constant repetition that helped them to focus themselves on their next event.

After taping her wrists with pre-wrap and a little bit of strapping tape, JJ tugged her sweatbands over her hands. They were starting to wear out, but they would see her through the end of the Olympics for sure. They were the same sweatbands she had been using since her first World Championships, and even though they were a little ratty and gross, she couldn't help but have a tiny bit of an attachment to them.

She was so focused that she hardly registered the rest of the rotation. But eventually, she was back on her feet, her grips securely on her hands and her jacket draped loosely over her shoulders. Habitually, she shook herself out, keeping herself warm and loose in preparation for bars. She had pulled on her track pants to keep her legs warm, and was staying as mentally focused on her next event as possible.

The rotation seemed to have flown by, and what felt like minutes later, they had fallen back into their line order. The upbeat music returned and they began to walk, following their volunteer leader around the uneven bars.

In Pittsburgh, JJ's closest friends were finally sitting down to watch the final. They had seen the opened few minutes of the broadcast, before connection issues had cut them out during the warmup. It had taken almost twenty minutes to get it back, meaning they had missed the entire first rotation and were only now seeing the girls warming up their second event.

"According the live scores, JJ's in third after her first event," Clayton said as Lani dropped herself into the chair beside him.

"That's good. Nice and steady," Mackenzie mused.

Standing beside the bars, JJ waited patiently for her score. Because Gabby had gone first in the first rotation, she had dropped back and would now compete last on bars. JJ would do the same when they came to beam. It would all culminate in the top six competing in reverse qualification order when they came to floor, capping off with Viktoria Komova, the top qualifier.

Her green light came, and she saluted with a smile.

" _Now we have Jennifer Jareau, of the USA, on the asymmetric bars"_

" _She's a funny one on bars, because she can actually be very good on the event, I saw her get credited with a 6.6 at the American trials, but she quite often changes one of her skills to a lower value and sometimes breaks the connection after her Pak salto, which can drop it all the way down to a 6.1, and I believe she was credited with a 6.4 in the qualification round. It'll be interesting to see if she competes her full difficulty today"_

Turning away from the high bar, she took a deep breath, before jumping and grasping the bar as her legs swung in an easy glide beneath the bar. Pulling herself up into a handstand, she held it strong for a few seconds, before swinging her legs down into a deep pike position beneath the bar. As she came back to the top of the low bar, she did a quick full turn, before swinging back into the same deep pike, releasing the bar and flinging herself up towards the high bar as she came back to the top. Normally, she would have continued into her piked Tkatchev, but she simply cast back to handstand, taking a moment to breathe atop the bar.

Her next move was the piked Tkatchev, high and floaty above the bar. She grasped it easily, returning to handstand, before swinging into a straddle position beneath the bar and releasing into a straddled Tkatchev. As she caught it, she carried through into a Pak salto, easily swinging through a stalder on the low bar after transitioning, and releasing again to do a half turn and recatch the high bar, now facing the correct way to dismount. Pulling up into a handstand, she easily swung through two giant swings, before releasing into a strong double layout. She hit the ground with a little of momentum, jumping forward slightly to catch herself, but otherwise, she was smiling as she turned to salute the judges to great applause.

"That was awesome kiddo!" Nick said happily as she walked over to him and hugged him tightly. "Good job!"

Beaming, she pulled away, heading over to the chalk bowl to grab her spray bottle before heading down the stairs. She got a hug of congratulations each from Gabby and Chow, but it was very brief, as Gabby wanted to remain focused on her own routine.

She was feeling more confident as she removed her grips and pulled off the tape underneath. Two strong events, with her strongest piece yet to come. A top eight finish was most definitely in her sights.

" _So a very good bars routine from Jennifer gets a 15.500, which is actually quite a strong score when you consider she dropped a connection or two! And she has also made the bars final, so if she goes all out there, she's within a shout of a medal"_

Once she was free of her grips, JJ spent the next few routines quietly running through some of her beam skills in the corner. But before too long, Gabby was up on bars, and she wanted to cheer her teammate on.

Even though JJ's bars at their highest difficulty were the same level of difficulty as Gabby's, JJ always found herself envious of the way Gabby swung bars. They were both good on the event, there was no denying, but Gabby had such a natural swing to her that just couldn't be taught. She watched, clapping as Gabby soared and swung between the bars as if it was what she was born to do, and when she released into her double layout dismount, JJ was cheering just as loud as the watching crowd.

" _That was excellent work!"_

" _What about that? Well… she's happy… she's certainly in the right frame of mind, and she's got two pieces to go!"_

"Well done," JJ said happily, hugging her younger teammate tightly as she reached her.

"Thanks," Gabby said through a breathless grin, walking alongside JJ back to their bags. She didn't have much time to get ready for the change of rotation, so JJ left her be, coming to stand beside Nick as they waited.

"She's doing well," Michael mused in the audience, squeezing his wife's hand. "Really well, I think that was one of her best bars routines I've seen her do!"

"Definitely," Sandy said softly, smiling as she watched the young British gymnast who was now tumbling across the floor. "Can you believe there's actually people out there who don't think she's any good as an all-arounder?"

"Mad," Michael scoffed with a laugh.

A few minutes later, all the rotation scores were finalized and they were moving to their third event. Gabby had earned a 15.733, putting her into the lead by over two tenths. JJ had dropped from third to fourth, but she herself hadn't looked at the scoreboard – all it did was make her nervous.

"This is where the magic happens," Will laughed as he watched the screen in front of him. "She'll blow them out of the water on beam"

"I still don't understand how she actually _likes_ beam. It looks fucking terrifying," Lani said with a grin.

"I mean, it probably helps that she's like four foot nothing," Brenner replied. "It probably looks bigger when you're that little"

After the warm-ups, JJ retreated to the corner a little way away from their bags, continuing to run through her routine to keep herself calm and focused. Nick stood a little way away, half watching the competition, half watching what she was doing.

"Remember to bring your shoulders all the way up before you start to move on," he reminded her softly as she did a front aerial across the ground. She nodded, turning back and doing another one with his correction in mind. She kept her eyes well away from the beam. It was easier for her to compete without knowing how everyone before her had gone. The noise in the arena was a welcome distraction, between floor music, cheering, announcements… it was all the white noise that helped her focus.

Four routines in, she had heard the rise and fall of the noise that indicated someone had fallen. She glanced upwards, her eyes falling on the defeated stance of Aliya Mustafina, who was standing beside the beam looking as though she wanted nothing more than to chainsaw it in half. As Aliya pulled herself back up, JJ felt a rush of hope run through her belly. She felt bad for Aliya, who was a very sweet competitor and a beautiful gymnast, but her fall had opened the door for JJ to secure a medal.

But she had to compete. She had to keep her head in check and get through her own routine first.

She was last to go. Gabby had gone before her, delivering a consistent routine to earn her another mid 15s score. Keeping herself calm, JJ chalked up quickly, focusing on nothing but the skills before her. A small smile cracked through when she heard Aly's voice ring out like a bell from the crowd.

"Come on JJ, you got it!"

She moved to her starting point, watching the screen on the opposite side to know when to go. It didn't take too long before the stop sign turned green, and her 30 seconds to mount the apparatus began.

"On the beam, representing the United States of America, Jennifer Jareau!"

Saluting, JJ turned her body towards the end of the beam, taking a deep breath before starting her run towards the springboard. She punched hard, flipping cleanly through a pike to land solidly on the end of the beam. Wasting no time whatsoever, she executed her leap series, which carried her to opposite end of the beam. She used her choreography to turn herself around, before lining herself up for her first acrobatic series.

Flip, flip, layout full, earning a huge applause from the watching crowd.

" _She is so good at that skill, I absolutely love it"_

She immediately followed it up with two connected front aerials, Nick's corrections ringing in her mind as she pulled herself up. On the second one, she swung her arms over and down, before leaping back into an Onodi. It was dead on, and the hardest part of her routine was out of the way.

Punch off the springboard into a front tuck mount. She let out a tiny sigh of relief when her feet hit the beam solidly and she straightened up immediately. For her, the hardest part was over.

The rest of the routine was a walk in the park compared to the opening. Some more acrobatic skills to rack up connections and fulfill the requirements… choreography low to the beam… a full turn.

Her ten second chime rang out, right as she was preparing herself for the dismount. With a deep breath, she swung back, flipping easily down the length of the beam before punching hard into the air. She wrapped in her full twisting double tuck, putting effortlessly to her feet and turning to the judges with a smile begin enough to light a city.

"Yeah JJ! That's how it's done!" she heard McKayla yell amongst the applause, making her laugh as she left the podium in high spirits.

"Every time I think you've bested yourself on beam, you just prove me wrong," Nick chuckled, pulling her into a tight squeeze. "You are tracking so well tonight kiddo, no matter where you finish in the end, I'm proud of how well you've tackled this, considering it's your first all-around final"

"I kinda like it," JJ said with a giggle. "It's easy to just get in the zone and keep going. I'm really not as stressed out as I thought I would be"

Nick grinned. "Don't speak too soon. You still have floor"

Knowing she had done well, JJ eagerly watched the screen beside the beam, wanting to know exactly the score she had received.

When it came up, she gasped, turning to Nick with a stunned expression as the crowd above whooped and cheered.

"I got… 15.8!" she said breathlessly, unable to contain her happiness as Nick swooped her into a tight hug.

"15.866, JJ… holy hell, that's amazing!" he gushed, pulling back and patting her cheek with a smile. "Absolutely amazing!"

"Jesus, that's… wow!" Michael exclaimed, turning to Sandy who was just as stunned as he was. "Highest beam score of the Games, I think!"

"Without a doubt," Sandy laughed. "She's really just out to prove me wrong for worrying when she's up there"

Laughing, Michael clapped for the last competitor of the rotation as she left the floor.

Going into the last rotation, the standings were cemented as Gabby in first, Viktoria in second, and JJ in third as they headed for floor.

Gabby was up third to last. JJ hadn't watched the remaining routines, wanting to keep her head in check before floor, which could often be tricky for her if she wasn't in the right mindset. She had watched a little bit of Gabby's, clapping along to the energizing music, and mentally willing Gabby to stay inside the boundary lines as she nearly flew out on her double Arabian. It was electric, upbeat, and extremely well done, earning Gabby a final score of 15.033 to keep her in the lead with a 62.232.

The time between routines was fast. JJ barely waited two minutes before her green light came. When it did, she took a deep breath, putting on a smile as she saluted the judges before stepping out onto the floor and assuming her starting pose.

" _So this young lady would need a 15.599 to pass her teammate for the gold, and unfortunately I think that's a bit of a stretch for her, but! She only needs a 12.933 to pass Aliya Mustafina and get herself onto the podium, and provided she has no major issues, that's going to be quite easy for her"_

" _Yes, I think she without a doubt will have an all-around medal here if she stays on her feet"_

"Come on JJ, you're almost there," Will muttered, leaning towards the TV as JJ's namecard flashed up on the screen.

Her music started, upbeat like Gabby's, enticing the audience to clap along. She sped across the floor, rocketing into a strong double layout which she landed with zero movement. Her smile grew as she danced around the corner, and then she was tumbling back across the floor into her combo pass, a whip into a double Arabian. She landed it strongly, lifting her chin up high as she turned to perform the larger section of choreography.

As she lined up for her third pass a short while later, she took a deep breath in the corner. Taking off, she pushed hard into her triple, wrapping it around as cleanly as possible. She was slightly underrotated when she landed, having to shuffle to gain her balance, but she felt she had covered it as best as she could.

"Come on Jayje, one more pass!" Jason yelled from beside his mother as he clapped along with her music.

As she stared down the diagonal for her last pass, she felt a rush of excitement.

Surely she'd done it.

She took off, feeling strong and powerful as she flipped into her double pike, which she landed with another huge rebound like the team final. She was already smiling from ear to ear as she danced into her final pose, unable to believe that the cheers and applause was really for her.

" _I think that should absolutely get her into the medals. It's just going to depend on Komova as to what colour it's going to be"_

Giddy, beaming from ear to ear, JJ was wrapped in hugs from an equally happy Gabby, followed by hugs from Chow and Nick as well. She knew she had done enough to make the podium, she only needed around a 13 to pass Mustafina.

Her score came up a few moments later, a flat 15 to put her into second behind Gabby. Overwhelmed with joy, she turned, throwing her arms around Nick, who squeezed her tighter than ever.

"I did it!" she said excitedly, her eyes growing a little wet as she spoke. "Oh my god, I did it!"

"We still gotta find out the colour kiddo," Nick chuckled.

"I know but I don't care," JJ said breathlessly, pulling away from Nick. "It's an all-around medal either way… at the _Olympics_! After everyone said I wasn't a good all-arounder"

Nick beamed, wrapping an arm around JJ's shoulders and squeezing her again. "Don't ever believe the things people say online. You came out today with the goal of finishing in the top eight, and because you didn't put pressure on yourself for a medal, you were able to perform nearly faultlessly. I'm really, really proud of how you performed today. You've done incredibly well"

JJ couldn't wipe the smile off her face as Gabby came over to hug her. She was currently sitting in silver medal position, but even if she got knocked down to bronze, she didn't care in the slightest. She was overjoyed at just the knowledge of a medal alone. A medal she herself had never expected to have.

" _The final competitor. Viktoria Komova. She needs 14.760 to pass the little American firecracker, Jennifer Jareau, and a 15.359 to match Gabby Douglas at the top. I think with a hit routine, she'll go into the silver medal position, but we'll have to see what happens about gold"_

The sounds of Amy Winehouse filled the arena, and off Viktoria went. Her first tumbling run, a 1.5 stepout into a double Arabian, was finished with a beautiful landing. Every movement she made was perfect and precise, and it was clear she was putting every ounce of energy and perfection she had into this routine in her last attempt to claim the coveted all-around title.

Three more beautiful landings followed and when she finished the routine with the lasting impression of a stuck double pike, she was smiling for the first time all day.

The ruckus died down and the arena went deathly silent as they waited for Viktoria's score to come up. Had she done enough? Had she done enough to pass Gabby and be Olympic all-around champion?

JJ and Gabby were all smiles as they waited at the far end of the vault podium, around the corner from where Viktoria and Aliya were waiting desperately for Viktoria's score. They had done their jobs, and would be taking home a medal apiece regardless of Viktoria's score. Even so, it was a tense wait. Gabby was just seconds away from potentially being the Olympic all-around champion, and all it would take was one great score for a great routine to knock her back into silver.

Moments later, a deafening roar filled the arena and JJ watched as Viktoria dissolved into devastated tears. She didn't even need to check the scores. Turning, she threw her arms around Gabby in a tight hug, as the younger girl was overcome with emotion.

Gabby was the Olympic champion.

Pulling away as she choked back tears, Gabby clambered onto the vault podium to wave to the crowd as JJ beamed at her from the sidelines. JJ was ecstatic; she'd known her own chances for all-around gold were considerably slim unless both Gabby and Viktoria had major errors, so to take home the bronze was more than enough for her.

"Get up here with me," Gabby called out, reaching out and beckoning for JJ to join her. JJ wasted no time, hopping up beside her friend as they waved together to the crowd before hugging each other tightly again. For the second time in history, two Americans had made it to the all-around podium.

Whereas Tuesday night had been an overwhelming barrage of tears, this time, Sandy and Michael were all smiles as they hugged each other in the wake of their daughter's continued success.

" _Mom, I don't think I'm going to make this team"_

The memories flooded back to her, the night before JJ had made the team, reminding her of just how little JJ had believed in herself back then.

" _Because the other girls… they're just better… stronger… Mom, Aly's going to end up going to London and I'm going to be staying home"_

"She's come so far," Sandy breathed, just loud enough for Michael to hear. "I'm so proud of her"

"I always knew she had it in her," Michael said warmly, pressing a kiss to his wife's temple as the girls down below began to get ready to leave the arena and prepare for the victory ceremony.

It was hard to believe that JJ's time at the Olympics was effectively already halfway over… and yet she still had many more chances to achieve greatness.

* * *

" _Winner of the bronze medal, representing the United States of America… Jennifer Jareau!"_

Waving to the crowd as she stepped up onto the podium, JJ was filled with an incredible sense of pride. It only elevated as the lady who was presenting the medals shook her hand before slipping the bronze medal over her head. Then came Nellie Kim, a former Soviet Olympic champion gymnast, now the head of the Women's Technical Committee, to give her the bunch of flowers.

As Viktoria and Gabby were presented with their medals, JJ couldn't help admire her own bronze medal. Yes, it wasn't a gold, but to her, it meant just as much. It was part of the Olympic experience.

JJ knew that after tonight, her best chance for individual gold was on the balance beam. And when that opportunity came, she was going to take it.

* * *

After a bunch of photos, in which Viktoria struggled to muster up a smile, the three medalists were led to the mixed zone for press interviews.

The media were swamping Gabby and Viktoria, wanting to hear their thoughts on how they performed. JJ couldn't help but feel a little bit sad for Viktoria, as happy as she was for Gabby; she knew Viktoria had wanted an all-around gold more than anything, and the poor girl looked so sad with her silver medal that she had even taken it off shortly after the ceremony.

"Hi Jennifer, do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?" came an Australian accent out of the thicket of reporters. JJ turned, smiling at the young man who had approached her with his iPhone and a notebook.

"Sure," she said sweetly. "And, I usually go by JJ"

The man grinned. "I'll remember that. I'm Mitchell Hagan, I work for The Sydney Morning Herald, back in Australia. I was wondering if you were expecting to get a medal today, and how do you feel having won bronze?"

"It feels amazing to have won bronze, I mean, it's the Olympic Games, to finish top three is incredible. Especially because, no, I wasn't expecting a medal today. I mean, I knew that I had a reasonable chance at silver or bronze, but I never come into a competition expecting a medal at the end. When we walk in to start a competition, we're all the same. We all start from zero and we have to go out there and prove to the judges that we deserve the prize, so it's nice to have been rewarded for that hard work"

"People say you're not a strong all-arounder, why do you think that is?"

"My vault starts seven tenths lower than the vault Gabby and Viktoria were doing, which is something I hope to improve on in the future. But also my bars as well. I mean, I have a 6.6 start value if I do my full difficulty, and usually score above 15, but my score range fluctuates pretty wildly between 15 and… 15.5 is probably the highest I've had with this routine, so people say I'm not as consistent on bars as I could be. Which is true, the reason I do have a big range is there's a few iffy connections in my routines, but my coach and I are working on those"

"Are you planning on continuing gymnastics after the Games?"

JJ smiled. "I think so. I'm only eighteen, so there's probably few more years left in me. I absolutely love gymnastics, and I've loved these past few days competing at the Olympics, so regardless of how my remaining finals go, I think I'll come back sometime next year after a bit of a break. I think I've earned one"

Mitchell laughed, ending the recording on his phone. "Thanks JJ. Good job tonight, you performed really well"

"Thank you," JJ replied with a smile as Mitchell joined the throng of reporters moving to speak to Gabby.

"You spoke well," Nick said warmly as he approached JJ.

"He asked me good questions," JJ replied with a grin. "So that's always helpful"

Nick chuckled, passing JJ her bag as they began to walk away from the media zone to the athlete's exit.

Clutching the medal around her neck, JJ was beaming from ear to ear. She had cemented her place as the third best all-arounder in the world.

Now, she had a few days before event finals to recuperate and allow her double Olympic medallist status to sink in.

And of course, have a little time to celebrate.

* * *

 **Real Results**

Gabby Douglas finished in first with a 62.232, while Viktoria Komova took second with a 61.973. Aliya Mustafina and Aly Raisman both scored a 59.566, but after dropping their lowest score to break the tie, Aliya came out on top and took home the bronze medal in a very hotly debated controversy.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Now that the two biggest chapters are done, I'm excited to keep going!**

* * *

The day following the all-around was the first of two rest days for the artistic program at the Games while the trampoline discipline took place. For the most part, the morning had been like every other day. The girls had risen and headed down for some breakfast, before grabbing their things and going to their morning training session.

They had the afternoon free of training, since JJ and Gabby were slated to have an interview with NBC presenter, Bob Costas, and knowing it was still going to be busy nonetheless, JJ had hoped to grab a half hour nap before they left the Village again.

But that had gone out the window when her phone buzzed loudly against the nightstand, Will's name lighting up the screen.

"Hey you," she said teasingly as she answered it, dropping onto the edge of her bed.

" _Hey tiny. Do you still remember my name and what I look like from all the way up there on top of the world?"_

"Were you Mitchell, or… wait, wait… Ben?"

" _Ha ha,"_ Will replied dryly, making her laugh. _"In all seriousness, you've been amazing. I'm really proud of you"_

A warm wave rolled through her chest, her cheeks growing a little warm as she smiled. "Thanks Will"

" _Still convinced you're just finding ways to show me up"_

She laughed, shaking her head as she shuffled across the bed and settled back against the headboard.

" _But really. Have you been having fun? Like it looks super intense when we've been watching"_

"It can be intense," JJ replied. "But we are having fun. This is what we love doing, what we've trained our whole lives for. If we weren't having fun, there'd be something seriously wrong"

" _The British commentators love you by the way,"_ Will chuckled. _"I thought the lady commentator was going to have a stroke or something while you were on beam, she was going nuts over how good you are"_

JJ laughed, a little blush creeping up her cheeks. "Thanks, I think?"

" _You're killing it anyway,"_ Will said warmly. _"I bet you're having more fun than I am"_

"Oh yeah, how's your college stuff going?"

" _Pretty good. I've got most of my books, and my class schedule is sorted. I've got orientation next week, which should be good. I'll get to meet my classmates and find my way around the campus"_

"You're not boarding on campus are you?"

" _No, typical momma's boy… I'm commuting"_

JJ laughed. "At least you're willing to admit it, you big sook"

" _Hey, don't knock it… you'll have me around to annoy you when you're home"_

"Great," JJ said dryly. "And what about Isabelle, are you gonna annoy her?"

" _Oh… I didn't tell you… I broke it off with Isabelle. I just… couldn't see it going anywhere, and after she bit me, I didn't really want it to"_

JJ's heart leapt in her chest. Will was single… he wasn't seeing Isabelle.

'Calm down Jareau… it doesn't necessarily mean what you want it to mean,' she scolded herself mentally.

"I… sorry about that," she offered lamely.

" _I mean, it's fine. We obviously weren't right for each other and… well, there's someone that I… I don't know if she feels… I don't wanna push something that isn't there, you know? But then sometimes it… I don't know. It's fine though"_

JJ laughed, even as her heart sank a little. "Have you been talking long? I don't think I got one complete sentence out of that"

" _Yeah, yeah… I don't know Jayje, it's just a little complicated. It's probably for the best, you know, with college starting in a couple of weeks, it's probably best if I stay focused on that for a little while"_

"Yeah. Are you excited for college?"

" _Yeah, it should be good! Bit of a change to high school I guess. It'll be weird not copying off you in math"_

JJ let out a laugh. "I _knew_ you were copying me! But I couldn't prove it!"

" _Ah, I'm a better liar than you thought!"_

Shaking her head as Aly came into the room, JJ grinned. "Careful, you'll get a big head"

" _I already have a big head. Yours might be bigger though, when you come home with those Olympic medals"_

Catching Aly's eye, JJ blushed when Aly pulled a kissy face, before making a heart with her hands. She flipped her off, grinning when Aly laughed and disappeared into the bathroom.

"You're just jealous," she teased to Will.

" _And so it begins,"_ Will chuckled. _"Anyway, I gotta go Jayje, I've got a few more things to do today. Hopefully I'll talk to you before your other finals, but if I don't, good luck!"_

"Thanks Will," she said softly.

" _I l-look forward to seeing how you do. You're gonna kill it, as always,"_ Will stammered in reply. JJ giggled.

"You need to stop talking, you're really struggling today"

" _Ha ha. Talk later Jayje"_

Hanging up, JJ sat for a moment, a happy little smile on her face. She didn't want to get her hopes up for nothing… and she still had a job to focus on. Despite her feelings for him, Will never failed to make her laugh and smile, and right now, that was all she could ask for.

* * *

After lunch, and a rest, the girls were taken to the Team USA hub in London, where JJ and Gabby were scheduled for their interview. Each wearing both of their medals, the two girls had been ushered through the building, given a rundown of how the interview was going to work, and then introduced to Bob Costas, the host of the segment.

Sitting beside Gabby on the sleek but comfortable white couch, JJ was beaming from ear to ear as the cameraman counted them onto air.

"Good morning, I'm Bob Costas, and I'm coming to you from London, England. The Olympic Games are well and truly underway, we'll bring you some of the latest results a little further on, but right now, I am here with two of Team USA's stars, Gabrielle Douglas and Jennifer Jareau. Last night at the North Greenwich Arena, these two young ladies took medals in the most coveted final in all of gymnastics. Welcome ladies!" Bob said cheerily.

"Hi," Gabby and JJ said in unison, both a little giggly as they spoke. It felt a little surreal to be at the centre of the media attention. Neither of them felt particularly special; they were just two girls who loved gymnastics.

"First off… congratulations on a spectacular performance last night, you both performed so beautifully, I'm sure you're very proud. Did either of you expect to win a medal?" Bob asked.

The girls glanced at each other. Smiling, JJ motioned for Gabby to go first.

"I don't think we went in expecting a medal, because if you go in with high expectations and then make a mistake, it's nothing but disappointment. I know for me personally, uh, I just wanted to go in and hit four for four, I knew I had the ability to make it big, I just had to keep calm and focused out there," Gabby replied animatedly as she turned back to Bob. Bob smiled, before both of them looked to JJ.

"I wasn't expecting one at all. People seem to have it in their heads that I'm not a strong all-arounder, and when enough people say it, you start to think it. So I walked in there thinking that if I hit really well, I maybe had a chance at top eight, but here I am with a bronze medal," JJ said with a smile.

"That must do wonders for your confidence to have people telling you what you're apparently not good at," Bob said in disbelief.

JJ nodded. "Yeah. But I know what I'm capable of, and while sometimes it's really hard to not let people get into my head, I know all the work I've done and how hard I've trained, and I just have to remember that when I go out on the competition floor"

"And what's that moment up on the medal podium like? What was it like in the team final?" Bob asked with a smile.

"Amazing," Gabby said with a laugh. "It's the moment all your dreams come true"

"It's so emotional though. Up there with the girls, I wanted to bust out in tears, but I couldn't stop smiling to let it happen," JJ chuckled. Bob laughed.

"All five of you are America's sweethearts. The Fierce Five. And Gabby, you've now become the first African-American gymnast to win the all-around title, as well as the first American of any race to win both the team and all-around gold at the same Olympics. You've made yourself famous overnight," Bob chuckled. "Has that sunk in?"

"No, not yet," Gabby laughed. "I'm sure it will once the Games are over"

"You both have a couple more finals. Gabby, we'll see you on the uneven bars, and JJ, we'll see you on the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. How are you feeling in preparation for those finals?"

"Pretty good," JJ said with a grin. "We've done the hard work all year, now it's just about staying clean and consistent"

"You're the reigning world champion on beam, JJ, does that add some pressure?"

"A little, yes, it always does because you know there are people out there expecting you to win. But for me, beam is my favourite event, and I rarely feel fear up there, so I'm just going to go out and have fun with it"

"Always the way to go," Bob chuckled. "Well, that's unfortunately all the time we have left today, but I'll hopefully get you back here before the Games are done. Good luck in your remaining finals, ladies, and know you have the entire country at your back. Ladies and gentleman, Gabrielle Douglas and Jennifer Jareau!"

They smiled at the camera, remaining fixed in their seats until the signal was given to indicate the cameras had stopped rolling.

She normally hated the attention. But being here at the Olympics, enjoying the successes she had already had, was proving to be the ultimate confidence booster.

* * *

Filled with excitement at the prospect of seeing her parents for the first time in almost a month, JJ practically bounced into the family at Team USA headquarters, which was abuzz with activity.

It didn't take her long to spot her dad, towering over the other groups of people, her mom smiling from his side. Breaking into a huge smile, she crossed the room in a flash, throwing herself into her dad's waiting arms as her medals clinked around her neck.

"Oh we have missed you!" Michael gushed, wrapping her in a ridiculously tight hug as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "It's only been 27 days since we saw you, but god it feels like forever"

"But who's counting, right?" JJ teased as she pulled away. Michael laughed, watching lovingly as Sandy pulled their daughter into a warm embrace.

"God, we're so proud of you! Especially for your bronze!" Sandy said happily, pulling away and cupping JJ's face in her hands. "Bet you didn't see that one coming?"

"Not at all," JJ said through a grin. "I still can't believe it. I can't believe any of it. I'm an Olympic champion!"

Sandy laughed, wrapping an arm around JJ's shoulders and pulling her back in for a squeeze as they both turned to face Michael.

"Where's everyone else?" JJ asked as they moved to sit on some nearby sofa chairs.

"When we spoke to the representative who gave us all the information on when to come and what to expect, she told us that the larger the group, the more of a hassle it is to clear security into headquarters. And apparently your grandparents wouldn't have been allowed in, they only allow immediate family in to prevent overcrowding. So in the end, Jason decided he would stay with everyone else while we came to see you," Sandy said with a smile. "You'll see him when you're finished competing. Your dad has to fly back the night after the floor final, but Jason and Katie are going to stay another week and make a bit of a holiday out of it"

"Is anyone else leaving after floor?" JJ asked.

"Just Nandy," Sandy said with a smile, referring to her mother by the nickname JJ had coined when she was just learning to talk. "She's got three doctor's appointments next week that she couldn't change, so she's flying back with your dad"

"But enough itinerary talk, peanut, let's see the hardware!" Michael cut in with a grin. JJ laughed, reaching up and lifting the two medals over her head. She passed them over to her dad, who took one in each hand, looking over them with admiration.

"Oh, I almost forgot too!" Sandy exclaimed suddenly, reaching down into her bag. She straightened up a moment later, holding out a small wrapped gift with a smile. "Happy eighteenth birthday!"

JJ beamed, leaning forward to kiss her mother's cheek as she took the gift from her hand. As Michael leaned over to pass Sandy the medals, she pulled off the wrapping to find a little jewellery box. Flicking it open, she found a pair of studs. They were the US flag, but done completely in tiny diamonds. Patriotic, but not so much so that it was in your face.

"I love them," she said happily, looking up at her mom with a smile. "Thank you!"

"I think they go quite nicely with these," Sandy chuckled, holding up the medals. "These are gorgeous, but it's a little surreal that you actually have them"

"Believe me, it hasn't sunk in for any of us. I found Gabby this morning just sitting on her bedroom floor staring at hers"

Her parents laughed, Michael nodding in agreement. "I would too," he said with a grin, getting another laugh out JJ and her mom.

"How are you feeling about your event finals?" Sandy asked gently, reaching over to squeeze JJ's hand.

"I feel pretty good," JJ replied. "I'm not really nervous for them at all, you know… I've already got two medals, so I'm just going to go out and do my best and have fun. If it results in more medals, then great, if it doesn't, it's not the end of the world. I mean… I might be a bit upset if I don't medal on beam, because I've wanted to be Olympic champion on beam since I learnt my first proper beam routine… but whatever happens, happens"

"Good attitude to have," Michael said warmly. "No matter how you do… we're proud of you and we love you. That's never going to change"

JJ stayed with her parents for almost an hour, until Steve Penny came to round all the girls up and get them on the shuttle back to the village. Even though she would see her mom again in less than a week, JJ found herself feeling childishly reluctant to leave them, hanging back as long as possible for one more hug before she had to go.

After dinner and a shower, JJ found herself staring in the mirror as she brushed her hair. Her eyes searched her face, looking for any signs of change. But the face looking back at her looked exactly the same as it always had. Except now, the face looking back at her was the face of an Olympic champion.

She took a deep breath, looking down at the earrings sitting on the counter top. With a little smile, she slowly removed the studs she was already wearing, swapping them one at a time for the US flag earrings her mother had given her that day. A minute later, she was gazing at her reflection again, her ears now glittering with the little diamonds.

A surge of confidence rushed into her chest and she had to smile.

She was still the same girl as before. Just now, she had the hardware to make all the sacrifices worth it. And come Monday, she was going to go out and give her routines everything she had one last time.

Because making it to one Olympics was the chance of a lifetime with the smallest odds… let alone making it to two.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I'm back! Sorry, I got a new job and it's been hectic! But since I've been gone, I've booked two holidays! Haha!**

* * *

Sunday brought the return of the gymnastics competition with the women's vault final, sandwiched by the men's floor and pommel horse finals. It was the day US fans had been waiting for, with McKayla fully expected to take gold.

JJ was in the stands with the remainder of the team, Aly on her left and Kyla on her right. They were sitting above the beam, with a great view of the landing area for the vault. Nick was in the row behind her, chatting easily with the other coaches as they waited for the final to gear up.

"Ladies and gentleman, please put your hands together for the gymnasts as they enter the arena!"

The familiar upbeat music began, grabbing their attention as the short procession of eight gymnasts and accompanying coaches made its way out onto the floor. They spotted McKayla quickly, walking second to last dressed all in white. She was wearing the white version of the leotard they had worn for the team final, and as it so happened, it was the same one JJ had already picked to wear for the bars final the next day.

They were led up to stand alongside the vault, and almost as soon as they had stopped, the announcer began introducing them to the watching crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the women's vault finalists! Representing Canada… Brittany Rogers!"

Brittany waved happily to the crowd, her white and teal leotard proudly bearing the Canadian maple leaf.

"Representing Germany… Janine Berger!"

Janine was a young but powerful gymnast from Germany, who had helped make a little bit of history by being one of two Germans to qualify into the final.

"Representing Canada… Elsabeth Black!"

Elsabeth, or Ellie as JJ had heard her teammates calling her, was a year younger than JJ and basically fresh on the international scene. The Olympics were her first major competition, and so far, they had been fantastic for herself and the Canadian team.

"Representing the Dominican Republic… Yamilet Pena Abreu!"

Yamilet had made a name for herself at the previous year's worlds when she had attempted the extremely difficult and dangerous handspring double front vault. So far, JJ hadn't seen her land it successfully, but she was hoping she would manage it today.

"Representing Germany… Oksana Chusovitina!"

Oksana was an absolute legend in the gym world. Her first Olympic Games had been in 1992… four years before JJ was even born. And here she was, competing at her sixth Games as the reigning vault silver medallist.

"Representing the Russian Federation… Maria Paseka!"

Maria had rotated with JJ in the team final, and JJ had already seen her vault. Her form was sometimes a little scary, but nonetheless, she seemed like a sweet girl and JJ hoped she was going to do well.

"Representing the United States of America… McKayla Maroney!"

"Yeah McKayla!" Aly yelled, making the other girls laugh. "You got it!"

"Representing Romania… Sandra Izbasa!"

Once Sandra had waved to the crowd, the gymnasts were escorted off the podium, leaving Brittany up to start off the final.

It wasn't long before she was given her green light. She powered down the runway, but even from the stands, her run looked a little laboured. Her hurdle was clean and quick, and JJ was impressed when, even with a seeming lack of power, she managed to wrap in a relatively clean double twist. Her landing came down slightly to the side of the centre line, but her chest was up, and her landing nearly stuck.

The effort earned her a very respectable 14.766, setting her up for a strong lead-off into the competition.

The run into her second vault seemed much more efficient, but having watched McKayla doing half-on Yurchenkos for over two years, JJ wasn't as impressed by the entry to the table. Still, she had to commend Brittany for the height she managed off the table, enough to whip around a half twist before landing. As she landed, her chest came down extremely low, her hands brushing the top of the mat before she quickly straightened up and saluted the judges. Even with the little errors, she was smiling as she left the podium, all hugs and high fives with her coaches, proving that the Olympics were not always about winning the hardware.

The young German was next, putting up two solid vaults that pushed her into an early lead. Her form was fantastic, and JJ found herself silently rooting for the underdog in a stacked competition.

Ellie was next to go. Her run was so fast that JJ could swear she was going to lift from the table in true McKayla fashion. But moments later, she was twisting rapidly through the air, and then coming down hard on her side on the landing mat, her ankle jammed hard beneath her.

"Oh my gosh, ouch!" Aly exclaimed, jumping in her seat as Ellie hit the floor.

The crowd cheered as Ellie got up and walked slowly back to the end of the runway with her coach at her side. She was constantly stretching and shaking out her ankle, and JJ just knew she'd stung it on the landing. She still remembered the pain from the first time she had jammed an ankle on a landing, and it wasn't a pain you could very easily work through.

With a second green light, Ellie saluted the judges for her second attempt. She continued to shake herself out, standing still at the end of the runway as she took a deep breath.

She started to run, picking up speed easily, but right before the table, she leapt to the side, hopping to a stop as she picked her left foot up off the floor.

"Oh no, she's injured," Kyla said sadly from JJ's other side.

In the end, Ellie's score was a flat 0 – she hadn't landed her first attempt, and hadn't even gone through with her second. But health always had to come before rankings, and had she vaulted on the injured ankle, it likely would have been so much worse.

Next up was Yamilet Pena, the young Dominican who was attempting a legendary skill.

Her run was so powerful. As she neared the table, JJ leaned forward, wanting to see the legendary vault just a little closer. Yamilet's legs bent at the height of her block, and she immediately threw herself through two front flips. She came so close that JJ rose out of her chair, but moments later, her feet hit the mat and she landed straight on her butt.

The next two gymnasts were Oksana Chusovitina and Maria Paseka. Oksana's vaults were strong and dependable, her form absolutely incredible in the air. But even so, it was Paseka's choppy Amanar that ended up taking the lead with just two gymnasts left to go.

McKayla was next. Even from up high, JJ could see her game face. She was dusting away the chalk as was her habit, before saluting the judges and stepping onto the carpet.

"Come on Mac, you got it!" Aly called out encouragingly.

McKayla took off like a bullet from a gun down the runway, as was her usual. She flipped easily onto the table, blocking so hard that there was an audible gasp around the arena as she lifted clear of the table. Her twists were fast and clean, bringing her down to her feet without a flicker of doubt that she was the best in the world at what she did.

"Nice!" the girls cheered as she showed a flicker of a smile and began heading back towards the end of the runway. She was so calm and methodical in her movements that JJ almost envied her. What she would give to have that much composure in a final where people had already handed her the gold medal.

Surely that was what Tuesday was going to feel like.

McKayla's score came up for her first vault, a massive 15.866, and she wasted no time in getting ready for the second.

JJ felt like she wanted to hold her breath as she watched McKayla salute the judges. Confident and strong, the younger gymnast lined herself up, before tapping her foot once and taking off down the runway. She entered cleanly onto the table, the half twist being nearly square. As she flipped over through the air, JJ drew in a tight breath.

Seconds later, she hit the mat, and JJ's stomach dropped as McKayla's feet shot out from underneath her. A gasp rang around the arena, this time, one of shock, not awe.

"No!" Aly gasped beside her, her hands slapping down onto the railing. "No way!"

McKayla hauled herself up, her face set in stone as she saluted and left the podium.

The girls sat in a numb state of shock through the final competitor, Sandra Izbasa's attempt. When it was all said and done, Sandra slid ahead of McKayla by barely a tenth.

 **WOMEN'S VAULT FINAL**

 **RK TOTAL  
1 ROU IZBASA. S 15.191  
2 USA MARONEY. M 15.083  
3 RUS PASEKA. M 15.050  
4 GER BERGER. J 15.016  
5 GER CHUSOVITINA. O 14.783  
6 DOM PENA ABREU. Y 14.516  
7 CAN ROGERS. B 14.483  
8 CAN BLACK. E 0.000**

It was cemented. McKayla's slip had cost her her dream.

* * *

McKayla was barely through the door of their complex that evening when she completely broke down.

JJ was first to get to her, pulling her into a tight hug and trying her best to give her all the comfort she could.

"I can't believe I did that," McKayla sobbed. "I can't believe I fell"

"This sport gets the better of us sometimes," Aly said gently as she approached them and put a hand on McKayla's back. "You still got a silver… I know it's not what you wanted, but we're still so proud of you"

McKayla pulled away, her eyes red, her mascara tracked underneath.

"I just need to… be alone," she said through broken breaths, before turning and walking towards the room she was sharing with Kyla. As she disappeared around the corner, JJ saw her pull the silver medal off and cast it onto her bed.

Anxiety brewed in the pit of her stomach.

Now, just thinking about the beam final made her feel sick.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Enjoy!**

* * *

The day had arrived. The day of the final that no-one, not even _Nick_ , had expected JJ to make. And yet here she was, in the warm-up gym with Nick as the first half of the final carried on in the arena just beyond.

She'd been running some drills for about five minutes, just wanting to stay warm and loose, when she noticed Nick giving her a funny look from where he was watching her.

"What?" she asked, her lips quirking into a smile as she stopped what she was doing.

Nick chuckled, glancing down as he straightened up from where he was leaning on a practice beam. "You're normally chewing on your own stomach acid before a meet. Yet this morning, you're probably the most relaxed I've ever seen you in my life. I think I even heard you _singing_ at breakfast"

JJ laughed. "I… I guess I am pretty relaxed… I mean, I wasn't really expected to make this final. So I don't really have any expectations. I just want to enjoy it"

"You're a great bars worker kiddo. People just don't give you enough credit for it," Nick said reassuringly. "But definitely… whatever you do today will still come out as a massive achievement"

Nodding, JJ adjusted her grips again, wanting them to be just right when the time came to compete.

A short while later, she was heading back into the arena with Nick in tow. Beth Tweddle was about to compete, the hometown favourite for a medal in this final. JJ would be next, followed by Gabby, and then the German girl, Elisabeth Seitz.

She knew she had the capability to medal. She just had to go for broke and aim for all of her connections with exquisite form. Aliya Mustafina was holding a very strong lead with a massive 16.133, while He Kexin sat in second with a 15.733. She probably couldn't surpass either of them. At least… definitely not Aliya. And Beth was likely to score very highly as well. But if she went for her complete difficulty, she could probably nudge out a fourth place finish.

She stayed focused as Beth completed her routine, following Nick up onto the podium and beginning to chalk her grips as he prepared the bars. The noise in the arena was still loud for Beth, but she was barely aware of it. She was completely in the zone.

Shaking her hands, she walked over to stand between the bars, facing the judges as she waited for her green light. It felt like barely a second later that she got it, and then she was saluting the judges with a smile before turning to face the low bar.

She suddenly felt a rush of confidence… and strangely enough, it was all boiling down to the leotard she had chosen to wear. White was a colour she didn't normally wear… and bars was a final she wasn't expected to make.

Yet here she was. Wearing white. Competing in a bars final.

Leaping off her feet, she grasped the bar and glided cleanly beneath it, before casting up to the top of the bar and holding a strong handstand. She immediately committed, swinging her feet down in between her hands and then back up to the top of the bar as she did a full pirouette. She swung her feet down again, releasing the bar and soaring backwards to the high bar. As soon as she grasped it, she allowed the swing to carry her up, before pushing herself back down into a piked Tkatchev, flying back over the high bar to catch again.

"Nice JJ!" Michael yelled out, his voice carrying through the near silent arena.

From another handstand, she swung down through a straddled stalder, before flicking up into a straddled Tkatchev, immediately connecting it to a Pak salto. Her grip was strong, so she continued into her last release, a stalder swing into a flight with half turn to the high bar.

She was almost smiling as she pulled up into handstand for her dismount. With two giant swings, she let go of the bar, flipping easily through a clean double layout. When her feet hit the ground, stuck cold, the crowd broke into ecstatic applause, and her smile was almost larger than life itself. Unable to contain herself, she quickly saluted the judges, before punching her fist into the air as she turned to hug Nick.

"That was unbelievable!" Nick gushed. "Why can't you do it like that every single time?"

She laughed, picking up her spray bottle as they passed the chalk bucket. She was first down the stairs, getting a congratulatory hug from Beth Tweddle and then Aliya Mustafina as she walked back to her bag.

"Score for Jennifer Jareau. 15.766"

JJ turned to look at Nick, who's jaw had dropped.

"You're in third," he gasped quietly. "You passed He Kexin"

"No way," JJ replied, but moments later, her eyes were landing on the proof.

She didn't immediately celebrate, for there were still two to go. But when Gabby made a noticeable error halfway through her routine, things seemed to solidify.

After a difficult but not quite as precise routine from the German girl, Elisabeth Seitz, JJ could hardly dare to believe it. When the final scores went up, her heart leapt.

 **WOMEN'S UNEVEN BARS FINAL  
RK  
1 - MUSTAFINA A. – RUS - 16.133  
2 - TWEDDLE B. - GBR - 15.916  
3 - JAREAU J. - USA - 15.766  
4 - HE K. - CHN - 15.733  
5 – YAO J. - CHN - 15.700  
6 – KOMOVA V. – 15.666  
7 - SEITZ E. - GER - 15.266  
8 - DOUGLAS G. - USA - 14.900**

"Look at you go kiddo!" Nick gushed, sweeping her up into a massive hug and lifting her clean off the ground. She laughed, clutching onto him as she felt a strange wave of emotion wash over her. He was so proud of her. And she was so proud to be a product of his hard work. For he had never had an elite before, and he was learning just as much as she was on this journey.

"I'm so proud of you JJ," he said warmly as he set her back down. She beamed up at him, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Might wanna save the praise until we're all done," she teased. "I could completely change your mind tomorrow"

* * *

She was almost finished getting ready for bed when she heard a gaggle of familiar voices enter the room she was sharing with Aly. She picked up her hairbrush from the counter, running it through her hair as the voices got louder. Grinning, she left the bathroom and was not at all surprised to find that McKayla, Kyla and Gabby had all migrated into their room.

"Got any snacks?" Kyla asked, looking pointedly at JJ. JJ laughed, pointing towards her bag. Kyla and Gabby immediately rushed over, happily digging through the bag of things JJ had accumulated during their time in London in search for food.

"Ok, I'll talk to you tomorrow night… yeah… we will," Aly said into her phone. "Ok… I love you too… goodnight"

"Oooh is that your boyfriend?" McKayla teased as Aly hung up the call. Aly rolled her eyes, grinning.

"Sure Mac"

"Have you spoken to your boyfriend today JJ?" McKayla continued as JJ dropped down onto her bed. The girls giggled.

"Get lost Mac, he's not my boyfriend," JJ laughed, tossing her brush into her duffel.

"Yet," McKayla replied nonchalantly, coming to sit on the end of JJ's bed. "My future husband told me good luck today"

"Oh yeah, which one is that?" JJ said with a smirk.

"Usain. It's only a matter of time before he proposes," McKayla replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder. The girls giggled.

"Mac, does he even know your name?" JJ teased.

"That's rude," McKayla replied dryly, making the girls laugh even more.

"I mean, he told you good luck and you're not even competing anymore, he doesn't even know you"

"We're gonna get married"

Aly snorted, crawling further up her bed as Kyla and Gabby joined her, snacks now in hand.

"I mean, we're soulmates," McKayla continued, leaning back casually and resting on her elbows.

Gabby perked up, the bag of gummy bears sitting loosely in her hand. "I thought Max Whitlock was your soulmate?"

"You know, it's just whoever gets there first"

"Well, you can have Max, and I'll have Usain," Gabby said eagerly. McKayla raised her eyebrows.

"Hmm, a bit of friendly competition I see? You do you boo," she replied, making the girls laugh.

"Max _is_ pretty cute," Aly agreed.

"Ooh, a LOVE triangle!" McKayla cried dramatically, popping back up again. "It's on girlfriend, and watch, I'll steal both your Olympic husbands"

They all dissolved into more giggling, which was broken when Kyla shyly spoke up from between Aly and Gabby.

"I… Michael Phelps," she said softly, making McKayla's eyes shine. "I think he's really good looking"

"Ky, he's like nine feet tall," Gabby teased, making Kyla's cheeks flame red as they all started to laugh again. "Something tells me that wouldn't totally work, if you catch my drift"

"Keeping it in the team, I like it," McKayla teased. "What about you Jayje, who's your Olympic crush?"

"Yeah, you said you liked Max too, give Mac some more competition," Aly said with a grin.

"I… he's cute, I guess," JJ said lamely, playing with the rumpled edge of her duvet. "I don't know, I thought he was cute, but I've had second thoughts"

"Do you even like boys, JJ? You can tell us!" McKayla pressed eagerly, a mischievous glint sparkling in her eye. "Or do you just like…. _one_ boy?"

"I like boys!"

"Are you sure, because you're suddenly not as keen on Max as you were the other day and he's about as cute as they come!"

"He's just not my type. He's too… short"

"That's ballsy coming from you, Jennifer Jareau!" McKayla scoffed through a grin. "Queen of the short asses over here!"

"JJ likes tall boys with dark hair and Southern accents," Aly giggled.

"OOOOOOHHHH!" the girls all chorused as JJ's cheeks flushed red.

"Do you wanna kiss him?" McKayla asked through a laugh. "Will, I mean"

"I… he's the only… I can only see myself… he's the only person I want to kiss," JJ stammered. The noise in the room grew infinitely louder as the girls all whistled and laughed.

"OOOOOH!" McKayla chorused again, leaning towards JJ.

"Shut up," JJ grumbled.

"Hey, at least you won a medal today. That's surely enough to satisfy you for a while," Gabby giggled.

JJ frowned, before muttering under her breath. "That's great, but I just really want a kiss"

"Oh, I can arrange that for you," McKayla teased.

Aly laughed. "Are you coming on to JJ?"

"This doesn't concern you Alexandra!" McKayla sniped. Kyla and Gabby giggled, eagerly watching the unfolding events.

"I want kisses too! You've never offered to hook me up!" Aly exclaimed.

"Shh, Aly, your time will come," McKayla said in a hushed voice.

Kyla scoffed. "Don't act like you're the supreme sex god, McKayla"

Gabby laughed, rising from the end of Aly's bed. "I'm gonna head to bed and leave you guys to… whatever this is," she chuckled, heading for the door. "I'll see you in the morning"

Barely a second after Gabby had left the room, McKayla leapt towards JJ, pinning her down to the bed. Before JJ could register what was happening, McKayla's lips were against hers, and Aly and Kyla were both howling with laughter.

' _Oh my god, she's actually DOING IT!'_ JJ screamed in her head, trying to push McKayla away. Then something that felt suspiciously like a tongue brushed her lower lip, and she found a little more strength.

"Ugh!" JJ laughed as she pushed McKayla away amidst the deafening laughter. Sitting up again, she wiped her mouth. "Did you slip me the tongue?!"

"Gotta get some practice in for you," McKayla shrugged.

Unable to help but laugh, JJ shuffled back against her pillows, wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her shirt. Silence fell around them, permeated only by the occasional giggle.

"You and Will are gonna make beautiful babies one day," McKayla said suddenly. Kyla and Aly laughed, while JJ picked up the nearest pillow and flung it at her friend. McKayla ducked, laughing as JJ nearly lost her balance. "Why do you get so defensive whenever we bring up Will? I mean, you clearly like him, hell, you admitted it to me and Aly back at camp"

"Because it's frustrating, I mean… it's so new, and I hate people teasing me for stuff like this, but also… it's so not like me, I mean, some days I can't get him out of my head and I just need to focus!"

"Imagine being best friends with a super hot guy for like ten years, only to finally wake up to how hot he is at the _Olympics_ of all times!" McKayla continued, seeming to have not heard JJ's response.

"I know! That's why I'm so mad! But it doesn't matter because there's no way he would like me back"

Aly quirked an eyebrow. "Uh, have you _looked_ in a mirror?"

"I'm too little for him, he's like six feet tall," JJ protested.

"Big guys like small girls, it makes them feel tough and strong"

"Well, I'm never around anyway because I'm always at training, or a meet, or something else related to gymnastics"

"He's been your best friend for ten years, Jayje, I'm sure he's aware"

"I've never even kissed anyone!" JJ said exasperatedly. "Well, except you, you crazy person. How would he ever want a relationship with someone so inexperienced?"

"You never know until you try"

"It's too hard"

"Nuh uh," McKayla said defiantly. "You are not getting out of this one. You're gonna tell him exactly how you feel when you get home. And if you don't, I'm gonna call him and tell him for you"

"And how do you think you're gonna get his number?"

"What makes you think I haven't already taken it out of your phone?"

JJ's eyes widened. "Well, like I said… I'm too inexperienced. I mean, he's definitely slept with at least one of his previous girlfriends"

"Oh good, so when you two have sex, at least someone will know what they're doing. There's no point in both of you being useless virgins"

"Hey!" the other three girls chorused. JJ rolled her eyes.

"I'm not useless!" she protested.

"Really? Ok, what would you do if a guy came up to you and said he wanted to have sex with you right now"

JJ let out a heavy breath. "Probably cry… or panic… or both"

"Run," Aly added.

"Scream," said Kyla, earning a giggle from the room.

McKayla took a deep breath, before reaching for JJ's hand. "You're gonna tell him how you feel Jayje, because you know what? Worst case scenario, he doesn't feel the same way. But then at least you know. And it'll kinda suck for a while, but you'll get over it. You've gotta stop living in this scary middle place. I know you're a little on the shy side, but the world isn't gonna end if you actually grab life by the balls and take a chance for a change. And you know something Jayje, he most definitely is gonna feel the same way about you, because he has eyes, and a brain, and a dick. And all three of those things work in your favour"

JJ had to laugh. Shaking her head, she turned her hand over beneath McKayla's, gripping it and giving it a squeeze.

"Ok… I mean… if I can win an Olympic medal on an event I never expected to make a final for… I can… I can tell Will I like him"

McKayla beamed. "Atta girl"


End file.
